Hope everyone is enjoying a day off of work, I know I am. Does this mean no cooking? Of course not, it just means that I'm whipping up a of baked pears for my friends and family. These go great in the cheese course or the desert course. Feliz Navidad!
Baked Pears
Serves 12
Ingredients:
12 bose pears (or other good baking pear), peeled cored and chopped
2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground allspice
4 Tbs butter, chopped
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a large deep baking dish, coat pears with spices, dot with butter.
3. Bake pears until soft, about 2 hours, mixing every 15 minutes to coat with juices.
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Friday, December 21, 2012
Asparagus Chicken and Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
This morning I was feeling like something warming and a bit on the healthy side. I was also really tired of rice. This lead me to make a sauteed chicken and asparagus dish with mashed potatoes. Feel free to substitute fresh peas or broccoli florets for the asparagus to change up the chicken dish. To do a twist on the expected, try a different kind of potato, like purple potatoes or sweet potatoes, and add fresh herbs like rosemary or thyme.
Asparagus Chicken
Serves 12
Ingredients:
6 lbs skinless boneless chicken thighs, cubed into bite sized pieces with fat removed
3 bunches asparagus, roughly chopped with wooden bits removed
1/2 cup white cooking wine
2 Tbs olive oil
2 Tbs cornstarch dissolved in water
salt and pepper to taste
Preparation
1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium to high heat, whatever you're comfortable working with.
2. Add chicken and saute until the outside of all of the cubes are no longer pink.
3. Add asparagus and stir frequently.
4. When the asparagus has darkened in color and the scent of cooked asparagus is in the air, transfer solids to serving dish leaving liquids behind.
5. Add wine and stir constantly with a wooden spoon, making sure to scrape any good stuff off of the bottom of the pot. Salt and pepper to taste.
6. When all of the alcohol has evaporated (that means no head rush when you smell the steam) add the cornstarch and stir constantly.
7. Remove sauce from heat once it has thickened and toss the chicken and asparagus in the pot, return everything to serving dish for a delicious and healthy meal.
Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Serves 12
Ingredients:
1 head of garlic (I recommend making a few heads of roasted garlic at a time, I made 6 heads of roasted garlic, just store extra peeled and in an airtight container in the fridge)
olive oil
6 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
1/4 cup butter (I used a Earth Balance Butter Substitute to make these lactose free)
2-3 cups of milk (I used lactose free milk)
salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Cut of the pointy bits of the head of garlic and brush with olive oil.
3. Bake garlic for 40-60 mins, until the garlic is soft.
4. While garlic is roasting, put potatoes into a pot and add water until just covered.
5. Bring potatoes to a boil and boil the potatoes until they break apart easily with a fork, about 15 minutes.
6. Drain potatoes and return to pot to keep them warm while you mash.
7. Mash potatoes with a potato masher or fork.
8. While mashing, add butter and mash until combined.
9. While mashing, add milk a bit at a time until desired consistency is achieved. Adding the milk while mashing makes potatoes fluffier.
10. Mash in roasted garlic, salt, and pepper to taste, this means that you should taste after you add a little of each item to see if you need to add more. Always remember that you can salt something more, but you can't un-salt something.
Serves 12
Ingredients:
6 lbs skinless boneless chicken thighs, cubed into bite sized pieces with fat removed
3 bunches asparagus, roughly chopped with wooden bits removed
1/2 cup white cooking wine
2 Tbs olive oil
2 Tbs cornstarch dissolved in water
salt and pepper to taste
Preparation
1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium to high heat, whatever you're comfortable working with.
2. Add chicken and saute until the outside of all of the cubes are no longer pink.
3. Add asparagus and stir frequently.
4. When the asparagus has darkened in color and the scent of cooked asparagus is in the air, transfer solids to serving dish leaving liquids behind.
5. Add wine and stir constantly with a wooden spoon, making sure to scrape any good stuff off of the bottom of the pot. Salt and pepper to taste.
6. When all of the alcohol has evaporated (that means no head rush when you smell the steam) add the cornstarch and stir constantly.
7. Remove sauce from heat once it has thickened and toss the chicken and asparagus in the pot, return everything to serving dish for a delicious and healthy meal.
Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Serves 12
Ingredients:
1 head of garlic (I recommend making a few heads of roasted garlic at a time, I made 6 heads of roasted garlic, just store extra peeled and in an airtight container in the fridge)
olive oil
6 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
1/4 cup butter (I used a Earth Balance Butter Substitute to make these lactose free)
2-3 cups of milk (I used lactose free milk)
salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Cut of the pointy bits of the head of garlic and brush with olive oil.
3. Bake garlic for 40-60 mins, until the garlic is soft.
4. While garlic is roasting, put potatoes into a pot and add water until just covered.
5. Bring potatoes to a boil and boil the potatoes until they break apart easily with a fork, about 15 minutes.
6. Drain potatoes and return to pot to keep them warm while you mash.
7. Mash potatoes with a potato masher or fork.
8. While mashing, add butter and mash until combined.
9. While mashing, add milk a bit at a time until desired consistency is achieved. Adding the milk while mashing makes potatoes fluffier.
10. Mash in roasted garlic, salt, and pepper to taste, this means that you should taste after you add a little of each item to see if you need to add more. Always remember that you can salt something more, but you can't un-salt something.
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Potato Pancakes with Apple Sauce and Sour Creme, Bratwurst, Bockwurst, Sauerkraut
Germany is one of my favorite places that I have lived and I thought that I would share the typical german lunch with you. Kartoffelpuffer mit apfelmus is the german name for potato pancakes with apple sauce and they were my favorite thing to eat. Bratwurst and bockwurst are commonly served with sauerkraut and a potato side, simple and hearty traditional food, just what I was in the mood for. For those who are eating kosher, try a kosher jumbo frank instead of the sausages.
Potato Pancakes
Makes about 6 latkas, I made 2 batches gluten free and 3 batches with regular flour
Ingredients:
2 lbs potatoes, peeled and shredded
1 egg
1/2 sweet onion, shredded
2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup all purpose gluten free flour + 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
(or 1/2 cup flour to make with gluten)
Vegetable oil
Preparation:
1. Drain shredded potatoes and shredded onion, squeeze out as much liquid as possible either using your hands and a sieve or cheese cloth.
2. Combine potatoes, egg, onion, salt, baking powder, and flour (with xanthan gum) in a large bowl.
3. In a large skillet, heat a few tablespoons of oil over medium high flame.
4. Spoon 1/4 cup sized dollops of batter into the pan and cook until browned on both sides, checking often to avoid burning.
5. Serve warm with sour cream (lactose free sour cream if you're lactose intolerant) and apple sauce.
*Always remember that when cooking with large amounts of oil to have a fire extinguisher that is compatible with grease fires at the ready.
Potato Pancakes
Makes about 6 latkas, I made 2 batches gluten free and 3 batches with regular flour
2 lbs potatoes, peeled and shredded
1 egg
1/2 sweet onion, shredded
2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup all purpose gluten free flour + 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
(or 1/2 cup flour to make with gluten)
Vegetable oil
Preparation:
1. Drain shredded potatoes and shredded onion, squeeze out as much liquid as possible either using your hands and a sieve or cheese cloth.
2. Combine potatoes, egg, onion, salt, baking powder, and flour (with xanthan gum) in a large bowl.
3. In a large skillet, heat a few tablespoons of oil over medium high flame.
4. Spoon 1/4 cup sized dollops of batter into the pan and cook until browned on both sides, checking often to avoid burning.
5. Serve warm with sour cream (lactose free sour cream if you're lactose intolerant) and apple sauce.
*Always remember that when cooking with large amounts of oil to have a fire extinguisher that is compatible with grease fires at the ready.
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Ratatouille over Brown Rice with Heart Salad
Last night I had a dream that had a rat running around the kitchen in it and when I woke up I was inspired by the Disney movie involving an adorable rat who loves to cook. I went for one that has a bit more cohesion than some of the super stewed versions because that was what I was in the mood for. The thing I really like about ratatouille is that it is a one pot meal, plus a large bowl, and you just keep reusing the pot over and over. Be prepared to do quite a bit of chopping to prepare this dish on your own. At the store I decided that there needed to be some sort of side salad in case someone didn't like ratatouille, so I made a heart salad.
Ratatouille over Brown Rice
Serves 12
Ingredients:
Olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced into half rings
1 clove garlic, minced
4 large chinese eggplants (or japanese eggplants), sliced
5 zucchinis, sliced
6 yellow squashes, sliced
6 grey squash, sliced
1 cup white wine
2 large cans chopped tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
1. In a large pot, heat 2 Tbs of olive oil over high heat. Saute onions and garlic until they smell really good and the onions have changed from opaque to semi-transparent, stir constantly with a wooden spoon to avoid burning and things sticking to the bottom.
2. Set aside onions.
3. Return pot to heat, if there is anything a medium brown color stuck to the bottom, deglaze with 1/4 cup of wine (that's just a fancy word for scraping off the good stuff on the bottom of a pan using a liquid, like wine, over heat; you'll know you're done deglazing when all of the stuff has come up and the alcohol has evaporated, which means you no longer get a buzz when you slick your head over the pot) and pour deglaze over cooked veggies. If anything has burned, turn down the heat on the next batch and wash out the pot before cooking in it again.
4. Repeat steps 1-3 for each of the fresh veggie individually, setting them all aside together.
5. Return everything to pot and add tomatoes, reduce heat and let simmer until things start to smell and taste fantastic, about 30 minutes; salt and pepper to taste. Optionally, add herbs like rosemary, sage, or thyme to give it a more rounded taste.
Heart Salad
Serves 12
Ingredients:
3 cartons of grape tomatoes (I had one carton yellow cherry tomatoes and 2 grape tomatoes, mix it up with pretty colored tomatoes of you can), cut in half
2 cans of heart of palm, drained and sliced
2 cans of quartered artichoke hearts in water, drained and chopped
4 Tbs pear vinaigrette
Preparation:
1. Combine all ingredients and toss to combine thoroughly.
Serves 12
Ingredients:
Olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced into half rings
1 clove garlic, minced
4 large chinese eggplants (or japanese eggplants), sliced
5 zucchinis, sliced
6 yellow squashes, sliced
6 grey squash, sliced
1 cup white wine
2 large cans chopped tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
1. In a large pot, heat 2 Tbs of olive oil over high heat. Saute onions and garlic until they smell really good and the onions have changed from opaque to semi-transparent, stir constantly with a wooden spoon to avoid burning and things sticking to the bottom.
2. Set aside onions.
3. Return pot to heat, if there is anything a medium brown color stuck to the bottom, deglaze with 1/4 cup of wine (that's just a fancy word for scraping off the good stuff on the bottom of a pan using a liquid, like wine, over heat; you'll know you're done deglazing when all of the stuff has come up and the alcohol has evaporated, which means you no longer get a buzz when you slick your head over the pot) and pour deglaze over cooked veggies. If anything has burned, turn down the heat on the next batch and wash out the pot before cooking in it again.
4. Repeat steps 1-3 for each of the fresh veggie individually, setting them all aside together.
5. Return everything to pot and add tomatoes, reduce heat and let simmer until things start to smell and taste fantastic, about 30 minutes; salt and pepper to taste. Optionally, add herbs like rosemary, sage, or thyme to give it a more rounded taste.
Heart Salad
Serves 12
Ingredients:
3 cartons of grape tomatoes (I had one carton yellow cherry tomatoes and 2 grape tomatoes, mix it up with pretty colored tomatoes of you can), cut in half
2 cans of heart of palm, drained and sliced
2 cans of quartered artichoke hearts in water, drained and chopped
4 Tbs pear vinaigrette
Preparation:
1. Combine all ingredients and toss to combine thoroughly.
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Sausages with Veggies, Sunflower Seed Rice, Steamed Green Beans, Crunchy Roasted Carrots
Sausages with Veggies
Serves 12
Ingredients:
3 packages mini sausages
2 packages cremini mushrooms
3 ears of corn
1 bag of super greens minus 1 large handful
1/2 cup white wine
1 Tbs cornstarch disolved in 1/4 cup water
Preparation:
1.
Chicken Meatballs with Veggies
(gluten free, kosher, dairy free, no onions)
Serves 2-4
Ingredients:
Preparation:
1.
Sunflower Seed Rice
Serves 12
Ingredients:
4 cups brown rice
1 package roasted shelled sunflower seeds
Preparation:
1.
Steamed Green Beans
Serves 12
Ingredients:
3 packages of green beans in steaming bags
Salt and pepper
Preparation:
1. Follow directions on the package for steaming the beans in the microwave or steam in a large pot with 2 inches of water at the bottom until the beans turn an emerald green and become fragrant.
2. Salt and pepper to taste.
Crunchy Roasted Carrots
Serves 12
Ingredients:
1 large bag of baby carrots
2-3 Tbs olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Put all ingredients in a plastic bag, shake to evenly coat.
3. Place carrots on a baking sheet lined with tinfoil and bake until able to be easily pierced by a fork, about 1 hour.
Monday, December 17, 2012
Chicken Wild Rice Soup, Black Bean Soup, Pomegranate Salad
Another gross and rainy day leaves me feeling under the weather. That means soup. There are two kings of soup: chicken wild rice and black bean. The black bean has a little kick and the chicken and wild rice is a little heartier by virtue of being a bit thicker. Soup is so yummy and easy, I love it. To make a meal out of soup, sop it up with some french bread and pair it with a salad. Those gray skies don't stand a chance.
Chicken Wild Rice Soup
Makes 8 cups
Ingredients:
Preparation:
1.
2.
Black Bean Soup
Makes 8 cups
Ingredients:
Preparation:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Pomegranate Salad
Serves 12
Ingredients:
1 cup pomegranate seeds
1 carton grape tomatoes, cut in half
1 large box spring mix
1 handful chopped walnuts
shredded parmesan cheese
raspberry vinaigrette
Preparation:
1. Dress the greens to lightly coat each leaf.
2. Layer the heavy items on top of the greens so they don't fall to the bottom.
Chicken Wild Rice SoupMakes 8 cups
Ingredients:
Preparation:
1.
2.
Black Bean Soup
Makes 8 cupsIngredients:
Preparation:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Pomegranate Salad
Serves 12
Ingredients:
1 cup pomegranate seeds
1 carton grape tomatoes, cut in half
1 large box spring mix
1 handful chopped walnuts
shredded parmesan cheese
raspberry vinaigrette
Preparation:
1. Dress the greens to lightly coat each leaf.
2. Layer the heavy items on top of the greens so they don't fall to the bottom.
Friday, December 14, 2012
Granola with Yogurt and Fruit, Baby Kale Salad, Egg Cocottes
Breakfast is the name of the game this chilly Friday morning. This is something that was actually quite easy to make, the most difficult part was cracking eggs into the makeshift ramekins (tinfoil making cups). Healthy and delicious, what more you want in meal?
Granola with Yogurt and Fruit
Serves 12
Ingredients:
8 cups rolled oats
2/3 cup whole almonds
2/3 cup raisins
12 dried apricots, chopped
2/3 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup sugar (I like evaporated cane juice)
8 Tbs maple syrup
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Mix together all ingredients in a large bowl until completely combined.
3. Transfer to two tinfoil lined baking sheets.
4. Bake 25 minutes until lightly toasted, stir, bake another 10-15 minutes until crisp and golden.
5. Serve with yogurt and fruit (I used mangoes, blackberries, and strawberries) or in milk. After cooled, store in an airtight container for up to a month, a ziplock bag works well.
Egg Cocottes
Makes 12 individual servings
Ingredients:
6 oz chopped spinach (I used half a bag of Power Greens)
12 eggs
12 Tbs milk (lactose free milk to make the dish lactose free)
12 Tbs shredded parmesan cheese
salt and pepper (use freshly ground if you can, it makes a difference here)
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In buttered ramekins set on a baking sheet or buttered tinfoil baking cups placed into a muffin tin, place enough greens to cover the bottom of the cups (about 1/2 oz or about 1 Tbs, enough so that there's still room for the egg).
3. Crack an egg on top of spinach, add a spoonful of milk (lactose free milk for those who are lactose intolerant), sprinkle with parmesan and season with salt & pepper.
4. Bake for 6 minutes or until the egg no longer jiggles when you nudge, the top should puff up a little.
Baby Kale Salad
Makes 12
Ingredients:
10 oz box of baby kale
10 oz box of baby arugula
3 cups of 1 bag of shredded carrots
1 carton of yellow cherry tomatoes, cut in half
Ginger sesame seed dressing
Preparation:
1. Dress greens so that the leaves are lightly coated.
2. Layer carrots and tomatoes on top of salad to ensure that they don't sink to the bottom.
Granola with Yogurt and Fruit
Serves 12
8 cups rolled oats
2/3 cup whole almonds
2/3 cup raisins
12 dried apricots, chopped
2/3 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup sugar (I like evaporated cane juice)
8 Tbs maple syrup
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Mix together all ingredients in a large bowl until completely combined.
3. Transfer to two tinfoil lined baking sheets.
4. Bake 25 minutes until lightly toasted, stir, bake another 10-15 minutes until crisp and golden.
5. Serve with yogurt and fruit (I used mangoes, blackberries, and strawberries) or in milk. After cooled, store in an airtight container for up to a month, a ziplock bag works well.
Egg Cocottes
Makes 12 individual servings
Ingredients:
6 oz chopped spinach (I used half a bag of Power Greens)
12 eggs
12 Tbs milk (lactose free milk to make the dish lactose free)
12 Tbs shredded parmesan cheese
salt and pepper (use freshly ground if you can, it makes a difference here)
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In buttered ramekins set on a baking sheet or buttered tinfoil baking cups placed into a muffin tin, place enough greens to cover the bottom of the cups (about 1/2 oz or about 1 Tbs, enough so that there's still room for the egg).
3. Crack an egg on top of spinach, add a spoonful of milk (lactose free milk for those who are lactose intolerant), sprinkle with parmesan and season with salt & pepper.
4. Bake for 6 minutes or until the egg no longer jiggles when you nudge, the top should puff up a little.
Baby Kale Salad
Makes 12
Ingredients:
10 oz box of baby kale
10 oz box of baby arugula
3 cups of 1 bag of shredded carrots
1 carton of yellow cherry tomatoes, cut in half
Ginger sesame seed dressing
Preparation:
1. Dress greens so that the leaves are lightly coated.
2. Layer carrots and tomatoes on top of salad to ensure that they don't sink to the bottom.
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Shredded Chicken Over Brown Rice with Sauteed Greens
With the weather continuing to be chill, I am wanting something warm with just a little spice, while still really healthy to counteract all of the winter bulk. The shredded chicken in this meal takes a cue from the filling to many mexican dishes, like the shredded chicken quesadillas from my local taqueria. Instead of serving with a pile of cheese I have it over brown rice and paired with a mixture of a few different greens that I sauteed. Did you know that most greens increase in nutritional content when you cook them? Because humans are not herbivores, we need to partially break down certain vegetation to even be able to digest it properly. Omnivore power!
Shredded Chicken Over Brown Rice
Serves 12
Ingredients:
3 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 sweet onion, roughly chopped
6 small tomatoes, quartered and seeded
1 clove garlic, minced
2 red bell peppers, seeded and quartered
1 tsp ground marjoram
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 tsp cumin
5 cups chicken broth
Preparation:
1. Combine all ingredients in a large pot over medium heat, uncovered.
2. Boil chicken until it is no longer pink in the middle and comes apart easily with two forks.
3. Remove chicken and continue boiling liquid.
4. Shred chicken using two forks, pull apart meat along the grain of the muscle, this will leave you with small thin pieces that have visible strings of meat.
5. Use a emulsion blender or a regular blender in batches to puree the liquid and veggies.
6. Return chicken to liquid and simmer to reduce liquid until desired consistency is reached, stir often to prevent the bottom from scalding.
7. Serve over brown rice or in a burrito.
Sauteed Greens
Serves 12
Ingredients:
olive oil
2 bags of shredded cabbage
2 bags power greens
2 bags kale
salt and pepper
Preparation:
1. In a large pot, heat 2 Tbs of olive oil.
Shredded Chicken Over Brown Rice
Serves 12
Ingredients:
3 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 sweet onion, roughly chopped
6 small tomatoes, quartered and seeded
1 clove garlic, minced
2 red bell peppers, seeded and quartered
1 tsp ground marjoram
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 tsp cumin
5 cups chicken broth
Preparation:
1. Combine all ingredients in a large pot over medium heat, uncovered.
2. Boil chicken until it is no longer pink in the middle and comes apart easily with two forks.
3. Remove chicken and continue boiling liquid.
4. Shred chicken using two forks, pull apart meat along the grain of the muscle, this will leave you with small thin pieces that have visible strings of meat.
5. Use a emulsion blender or a regular blender in batches to puree the liquid and veggies.
6. Return chicken to liquid and simmer to reduce liquid until desired consistency is reached, stir often to prevent the bottom from scalding.
7. Serve over brown rice or in a burrito.
Sauteed Greens
Serves 12
Ingredients:
olive oil
2 bags of shredded cabbage
2 bags power greens
2 bags kale
salt and pepper
Preparation:
1. In a large pot, heat 2 Tbs of olive oil.
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Carrot Cake with Chocolate Chip Cookies and Sandwiches
This morning I have a fierce sweet tooth and all I want are cookies and cake. Lucky for you, I realize that these items do not make a complete meal, so I also got all the fixing for lovely sandwiches to accompany the items I am most excited about. Mmmmm, carrot cake. The gluten free version of the cake is without cranberries so the two can be told apart, but when preparing this dessert on your own feel free to use cranberries or nuts to your hearts content.
Gluten Free Lactose Free Carrot Cake
Makes 1 large cake
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
2 cups sugar (I use evaporated cane juice)
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups gluten free all purpose flour
1 tsp xanthan gum
2 tsp baking soda
1 pinch salt (or 1/8 tsp for an exact measurement)
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp ground ginger
3 cups shredded carrots (I just used a 10 oz bag of shredded carrots, close enough)
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. In a large bowl, mix together oil and sugar.
3. Add eggs one at a time, mix until incorporated, then add vanilla.
4. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, xanthan gum, baking soda, salt, cloves, allspice, and ginger.
5. Add the dry to the wet a bit at a time, stir until all incorporated.
6. Add carrots (and other dried fruit or nuts if using), mix until combined.
7. Pour into a half steam tray or three 9 inch round pans and bake until a wooden tester comes out clean (35-45 minutes, keep checking every 5 minutes past the original 35 minutes.
8. Frost with a gluten free dairy free frosting and top with a few shredded carrots to make it look pretty.
Cranberry Carrot Cake
Makes 1 large cake
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups butter, softened
2 cups sugar (I use evaporated cane juice)
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 pinch salt (or 1/8 tsp for an exact measurement)
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp ground ginger
3 cups shredded carrots (I just used a 10 oz bag of shredded carrots, close enough)
1 cup dried cranberries
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. In a large bowl, mix together butter and sugar.
3. Add eggs one at a time, mix until incorporated, then add vanilla.
4. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, salt, cloves, allspice, and ginger.
5. Add the dry to the wet a bit at a time, stir until all incorporated.
6. Add carrots and cranberries (and other dried fruit or nuts if using), mix until combined.
7. Pour into a half steam tray or three 9 inch round pans and bake until a wooden tester comes out clean (35-45 minutes, keep checking every 5 minutes past the original 35 minutes.
8. Frost with a vanilla frosting and top with a few dried cranberries to make it look pretty.
Gluten Free Lactose Free Carrot Cake
Makes 1 large cake
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
2 cups sugar (I use evaporated cane juice)
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups gluten free all purpose flour
1 tsp xanthan gum
2 tsp baking soda
1 pinch salt (or 1/8 tsp for an exact measurement)
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp ground ginger
3 cups shredded carrots (I just used a 10 oz bag of shredded carrots, close enough)
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. In a large bowl, mix together oil and sugar.
3. Add eggs one at a time, mix until incorporated, then add vanilla.
4. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, xanthan gum, baking soda, salt, cloves, allspice, and ginger.
5. Add the dry to the wet a bit at a time, stir until all incorporated.
6. Add carrots (and other dried fruit or nuts if using), mix until combined.
7. Pour into a half steam tray or three 9 inch round pans and bake until a wooden tester comes out clean (35-45 minutes, keep checking every 5 minutes past the original 35 minutes.
8. Frost with a gluten free dairy free frosting and top with a few shredded carrots to make it look pretty.
Cranberry Carrot Cake
Makes 1 large cake
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups butter, softened
2 cups sugar (I use evaporated cane juice)
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 pinch salt (or 1/8 tsp for an exact measurement)
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp ground ginger
3 cups shredded carrots (I just used a 10 oz bag of shredded carrots, close enough)
1 cup dried cranberries
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. In a large bowl, mix together butter and sugar.
3. Add eggs one at a time, mix until incorporated, then add vanilla.
4. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, salt, cloves, allspice, and ginger.
5. Add the dry to the wet a bit at a time, stir until all incorporated.
6. Add carrots and cranberries (and other dried fruit or nuts if using), mix until combined.
7. Pour into a half steam tray or three 9 inch round pans and bake until a wooden tester comes out clean (35-45 minutes, keep checking every 5 minutes past the original 35 minutes.
8. Frost with a vanilla frosting and top with a few dried cranberries to make it look pretty.
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Spicy Pepper Soups
What a gross day it is out, cloudy and cold, unlike yesterday which was sunny and warm and beautiful. The only good thing about a gross day is that it calls for hot and delicious soup. Todays soups are a bit on the spicy side (yes, I'm really white, so when I say spicy it's not that big of a deal for most people, but if you have delicate taste buds, just cut out the spicy bits or be prepared for a bit of burn). Soup is served with sliced french bread (leave this out if you can't handle gluten) and a mixed greens salad featuring shredded carrots, dried cranberries, and a honey dijon mustard dressing. If you are lactose intolerant, enjoy the red soup and stay away from the green. If you are vegetarian, simply replace chicken and beef stock with veggie stock.
Red Spicy Pepper Soup
Makes 12 small servings
Ingredients:
olive oil
6 red bell peppers, seeded and cut into quarters
1 habanero pepper, seeded and minced (remember to wear gloves when handling spicy peppers and don't touch your eyes)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 onion, diced
2 ribs celery
2 quarts (aka 8 cups) beef broth
1/2 cup uncooked rice (I used white rice, but if you have time, use brown rice)
1 tsp dried thyme (or 2 Tbs fresh thyme, if you have it)
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to broil.
2. Lightly coat bell peppers in olive oil and place them skin side up on a baking sheet lined with tinfoil (this makes for easy cleanup, which is a big deal if you don't use tinfoil).
3. Broil peppers until the skin is blackened and blistered.
4. Place peppers in a paper bag, close it up tight to keep the steam in, and put in the freezer for 10 minutes.
5. When peppers are cool enough to touch, remove skins by rubbing with a paper towel or peeling off with fingers. This bit is kinda messy.
6. In a large pot, heat 2 Tbs olive oil over medium heat and saute onion, garlic, habanero pepper, and celery until the onion starts to turn glassy. If the garlic burns, start over using lower heat because the burnt garlic will make the whole dish taste nasty.
7. Add bell peppers, broth, rice, thyme, cayenne pepper, and red pepper flakes, bring to a boil.
8. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes or until the rice is tender.
9. Use an immersion stick blender directly in the pot or a regular blender in batches.
10. Salt and pepper to taste.
Green Spicy Pepper Soup
Makes 12 small servings
Ingredients:
olive oil
6 green bell peppers, seeded and cut in quarters
1 jalapeno pepper
1/2 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup half-and-half
salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to broil.
2. Lightly coat peppers in olive oil and place them skin side up on a baking sheet lined with tinfoil (this makes for easy cleanup, which is a big deal if you don't use tinfoil).
3. Broil peppers until the skin is blackened and blistered.
4. Place peppers in a paper bag, close it up tight to keep the steam in, and put in the freezer for 10 minutes.
5. When peppers are cool enough to touch, remove skins by rubbing with a paper towel or peeling off with fingers. This bit is kinda messy. Seed and mince the jalapeno pepper.
6. In a large pot, heat 2 Tbs olive oil over medium heat and saute onion, garlic, jalapeno pepper, and celery until the onion starts to turn glassy. If the garlic burns, start over using lower heat because the burnt garlic will make the whole dish taste nasty.
7. Add bell pepper and chicken stock, bring to a boil.
8. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
9. Use an immersion stick blender directly in the pot or a regular blender in batches.
10. Stir in half-and-half, salt and pepper to taste.
Red Spicy Pepper Soup
Makes 12 small servings
Ingredients:
olive oil
6 red bell peppers, seeded and cut into quarters
1 habanero pepper, seeded and minced (remember to wear gloves when handling spicy peppers and don't touch your eyes)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 onion, diced
2 ribs celery
2 quarts (aka 8 cups) beef broth
1/2 cup uncooked rice (I used white rice, but if you have time, use brown rice)
1 tsp dried thyme (or 2 Tbs fresh thyme, if you have it)
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper flakessalt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to broil.
2. Lightly coat bell peppers in olive oil and place them skin side up on a baking sheet lined with tinfoil (this makes for easy cleanup, which is a big deal if you don't use tinfoil).
3. Broil peppers until the skin is blackened and blistered.
4. Place peppers in a paper bag, close it up tight to keep the steam in, and put in the freezer for 10 minutes.
5. When peppers are cool enough to touch, remove skins by rubbing with a paper towel or peeling off with fingers. This bit is kinda messy.
6. In a large pot, heat 2 Tbs olive oil over medium heat and saute onion, garlic, habanero pepper, and celery until the onion starts to turn glassy. If the garlic burns, start over using lower heat because the burnt garlic will make the whole dish taste nasty.
7. Add bell peppers, broth, rice, thyme, cayenne pepper, and red pepper flakes, bring to a boil.
8. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes or until the rice is tender.
9. Use an immersion stick blender directly in the pot or a regular blender in batches.
10. Salt and pepper to taste.
Green Spicy Pepper SoupMakes 12 small servings
Ingredients:
olive oil
6 green bell peppers, seeded and cut in quarters
1 jalapeno pepper
1/2 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup half-and-half
salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to broil.
2. Lightly coat peppers in olive oil and place them skin side up on a baking sheet lined with tinfoil (this makes for easy cleanup, which is a big deal if you don't use tinfoil).
3. Broil peppers until the skin is blackened and blistered.
4. Place peppers in a paper bag, close it up tight to keep the steam in, and put in the freezer for 10 minutes.
5. When peppers are cool enough to touch, remove skins by rubbing with a paper towel or peeling off with fingers. This bit is kinda messy. Seed and mince the jalapeno pepper.
6. In a large pot, heat 2 Tbs olive oil over medium heat and saute onion, garlic, jalapeno pepper, and celery until the onion starts to turn glassy. If the garlic burns, start over using lower heat because the burnt garlic will make the whole dish taste nasty.
7. Add bell pepper and chicken stock, bring to a boil.
8. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
9. Use an immersion stick blender directly in the pot or a regular blender in batches.
10. Stir in half-and-half, salt and pepper to taste.
Monday, December 10, 2012
Tacos with Spanish Rice
Buenos dias, amigos. Inspiration for todays meal comes from the infamous street taco. The typical street taco (as far as I'm concerned) is a corn tortilla with meat, salsa, cilantro, and topped with queso fresco, maybe come lettuce and tomato if you're lucky enough to get veggies. While the typical street tacos are great, I wanted to mix it up a bit and get some delicious veggies in the mix.
Tacos
Serves 12
Ingredients:
Mushroom Corn Salsa:
2 bags of sliced mushrooms
4 ears of corn with the kernels cut off
4 anaheim peppers
2 habanero peppers
1/2 onion, roughly diced
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Beef Taco Filling:
4 lbs ground beef
1 Tbs cumin
1 tsp chipotle powder
1 tsp cayenne powder
1 tsp turmeric
salt and pepper to taste
The Rest of the Taco:
1 bunch cilantro
1 package of queso fresco, broken up into small bits
1 iceberg lettuce, shredded
8 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
corn tortillas (I chose the 70 pack instead of the 30 pack because I had a sneaking suspicion that some people would have more than 2)
Preparation of Mushroom Corn Salsa:
1. Wash and pat completely dry the peppers, then rub down in a small amount of olive oil to coat the entire outside.
2. Roast the peppers over an open flame using metal tongs until the skin is fairly evenly blistered and browned, then transfer directly to being wrapped up in paper towels.
3. Use the paper towels to gently rub away the tough layer of skin, revealing delicious smoky pepper flesh. Remove stem and seeds from pepper before chopping, anaheim peppers should be about the size of the roughly diced onion pieces and the habanero should be minced.
4. In a large skillet, heat 2 Tbs olive oil over high heat and add peppers, corn, and onions. Stir often.
5. When onion is glassy around the edges, add the mushrooms. Continue stirring until the mushrooms have changed color. Remove from heat and salt & pepper to taste.
Preparation of the Beef Taco Filling:
1. Heat a large skillet over high heat, brown beef on both sides.
2. Break up the meat with wooden spatula as it cooks. Sprinkle spices over meat and stir to get even coverage.
3. When meat is no longer pink on the outside and there aren't any huge chunks, remove from heat and drain off excess fat. Salt and pepper to taste.
Preparation of the Taco:
1. Place 2 tortillas on plate, side by side. Optionally, heat tortillas in a small stack in microwave wrapped in a towel for about 15 seconds (until just warmed) or individually in a frying pan until warmed.
2. Layer ingredients using a small amount of each. From bottom to top, the order is: beef, mushrooms, lettuce, tomatoes, cilantro, cheese. For dairy free, leave off cheese. To make vegetarian, leave out beef. To make vegan, leave out beef and cheese. Optionally, serve with avocado slices.
Spanish Rice
Serves 12
Ingredients:
2 Tbs olive oil
1/2 sweet onion, diced
3 cups uncooked white rice
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups chunky salsa (I chose medium because I wanted a little kick to the dish)
Preparation:
1. In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium to high heat, whatever you're comfortable with. Saute onion until tender (it will start to get glassy, which means transparent).
2. Add rice and continue stirring until rice starts to brown.
3. Stir in broth and salsa.
4. Reduce heat to low, cover, let simmer for 20 minutes or until all the liquid has been absorbed.
5. Fluff with fork before serving to keep it from getting too gloppy.
Tacos
Ingredients:
Mushroom Corn Salsa:
2 bags of sliced mushrooms
4 ears of corn with the kernels cut off
4 anaheim peppers
2 habanero peppers
1/2 onion, roughly diced
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Beef Taco Filling:
4 lbs ground beef
1 Tbs cumin
1 tsp chipotle powder
1 tsp cayenne powder
1 tsp turmeric
salt and pepper to taste
The Rest of the Taco:
1 bunch cilantro
1 package of queso fresco, broken up into small bits
1 iceberg lettuce, shredded
8 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
corn tortillas (I chose the 70 pack instead of the 30 pack because I had a sneaking suspicion that some people would have more than 2)
Preparation of Mushroom Corn Salsa:
1. Wash and pat completely dry the peppers, then rub down in a small amount of olive oil to coat the entire outside.
2. Roast the peppers over an open flame using metal tongs until the skin is fairly evenly blistered and browned, then transfer directly to being wrapped up in paper towels.
3. Use the paper towels to gently rub away the tough layer of skin, revealing delicious smoky pepper flesh. Remove stem and seeds from pepper before chopping, anaheim peppers should be about the size of the roughly diced onion pieces and the habanero should be minced.
4. In a large skillet, heat 2 Tbs olive oil over high heat and add peppers, corn, and onions. Stir often.
5. When onion is glassy around the edges, add the mushrooms. Continue stirring until the mushrooms have changed color. Remove from heat and salt & pepper to taste.
Preparation of the Beef Taco Filling:
1. Heat a large skillet over high heat, brown beef on both sides.
2. Break up the meat with wooden spatula as it cooks. Sprinkle spices over meat and stir to get even coverage.
3. When meat is no longer pink on the outside and there aren't any huge chunks, remove from heat and drain off excess fat. Salt and pepper to taste.
Preparation of the Taco:
1. Place 2 tortillas on plate, side by side. Optionally, heat tortillas in a small stack in microwave wrapped in a towel for about 15 seconds (until just warmed) or individually in a frying pan until warmed.
2. Layer ingredients using a small amount of each. From bottom to top, the order is: beef, mushrooms, lettuce, tomatoes, cilantro, cheese. For dairy free, leave off cheese. To make vegetarian, leave out beef. To make vegan, leave out beef and cheese. Optionally, serve with avocado slices.
Spanish Rice
Serves 12
Ingredients:
2 Tbs olive oil
1/2 sweet onion, diced
3 cups uncooked white rice
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups chunky salsa (I chose medium because I wanted a little kick to the dish)
Preparation:
1. In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium to high heat, whatever you're comfortable with. Saute onion until tender (it will start to get glassy, which means transparent).
2. Add rice and continue stirring until rice starts to brown.
3. Stir in broth and salsa.
4. Reduce heat to low, cover, let simmer for 20 minutes or until all the liquid has been absorbed.
5. Fluff with fork before serving to keep it from getting too gloppy.
Friday, December 7, 2012
Watermelon Salad, Ceviche Verde with Corn Chips, and Herb Salad with Pistachios
With the sun shining today I wanted something with a really fresh taste. My original intent was to have everything raw, but the ceviche was taking too long to acid cook (that's where you cook meat through the use of an acid rather than heat) so I just popped the cubed fish into a pot with all of its liquid and simmered for a couple minutes until cooked on the outside.
Watermelon Salad
Serves 12
Ingredients:
1 seedless watermelon, rind removed and cubed
1 cantaloupe, seeded with rind removed and cubed
1 bunch fresh mint, chopped
3 Tbs lemon juice
Preparation:
1. Combined all ingredients and drain off liquid.
Optional: Liquid can be used to make a fantastic melon margarita (2 parts vodka, 2 parts melon juice, 1/2 part simple syrup, 1 part lemon juice; shake with ice, strain into martini glass and serve with a bit on melon in the glass.)
Ceviche Verde with Corn Chips
Serves 12
Ingredients:
3 lbs fresh snapper (or other firm fleshed white fish), cubed
3 tsp salt
9 Tbs lime juice
6 ripe avocados, cubed
2 large cans green olives, sliced
6 kiwis, peeled and chopped
2 lbs tomatillos, leafy bit removed and chopped
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
2 jalapenos, seeded and minced (remember to wear gloves when handling hot peppers)
Preparation:
1. Sprinkle fish with salt and lime juice, let sit until the fish turns color (if it doesn't change color, dump into a pot over medium heat and gently stir until fish is mostly cooked).
2. Combine fish with other ingredients and gently mix.
Herb Salad with Pistachios
Serves 12
Ingredients:
1 large box herb salad mix
Vinaigrette
1 carton golden cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 package shelled pistachios
Preparation:
1. Dress greens with vinaigrette to lightly coat leaves.
2. Layer tomatoes and pistachios so heavy items don't fall to the bottom.
Watermelon Salad
Ingredients:
1 seedless watermelon, rind removed and cubed
1 cantaloupe, seeded with rind removed and cubed
1 bunch fresh mint, chopped
3 Tbs lemon juice
Preparation:
1. Combined all ingredients and drain off liquid.
Optional: Liquid can be used to make a fantastic melon margarita (2 parts vodka, 2 parts melon juice, 1/2 part simple syrup, 1 part lemon juice; shake with ice, strain into martini glass and serve with a bit on melon in the glass.)
Ceviche Verde with Corn Chips
Serves 12
Ingredients:
3 lbs fresh snapper (or other firm fleshed white fish), cubed
3 tsp salt
9 Tbs lime juice
6 ripe avocados, cubed
2 large cans green olives, sliced
6 kiwis, peeled and chopped
2 lbs tomatillos, leafy bit removed and chopped
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
2 jalapenos, seeded and minced (remember to wear gloves when handling hot peppers)
Preparation:
1. Sprinkle fish with salt and lime juice, let sit until the fish turns color (if it doesn't change color, dump into a pot over medium heat and gently stir until fish is mostly cooked).
2. Combine fish with other ingredients and gently mix.
Herb Salad with Pistachios
Serves 12
Ingredients:
1 large box herb salad mix
Vinaigrette
1 carton golden cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 package shelled pistachios
Preparation:
1. Dress greens with vinaigrette to lightly coat leaves.
2. Layer tomatoes and pistachios so heavy items don't fall to the bottom.
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Roast Chicken, Roasted Carrots and Parsnips, Roasted Beets and Fennel, Baked Yams, Sauteed Greens
Baking and roasting are two (of many) very similar techniques for using the oven that I'm utilizing to make the dishes bellow. The original recipes were within 25 degrees Fahrenheit, so I just put them all into the oven together at 400 degrees F because that's close enough. If the temperature had been 50 or more off, then I could not have done this. Also, certain items that cook for short amounts of time or are large and solid have a hard time going to a different temperature. The greens I just sauteed in a pan, though I think that if I do this again in the future that I will make 2 to 3 times as much due to the unexpected amount the greens cooked down. Everything is gluten free and dairy free except for the yams, which are deliciously terrible for you.
Roast Chicken
Serves 12
Ingredients:
6 pound whole chicken with neck and gizzards removed (that's all the bonus stuff inside that can be used, along with the carcass, to make chicken stock)
6 sprigs fresh rosemary to stuff inside of chicken
4 sprigs of fresh rosemary, removed from stem and minced (that just means chopped really small)
3 cloves garlic
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Stuff chicken with whole sprigs of rosemary and garlic cloves to add aroma and help keep the chicken moist
3. Run your hand under the skin covering the breast meat to make a pocket for the chopped rosemary and place chopped rosemary evenly under the skin of the breast.
4. Cover all of the skin in olive oil to allow it to crisp nicely without burning.
5. Grind salt and pepper over the skin to taste.
6. Lay on a bed of root veggies, like the carrots and parsnips listed bellow.
7. Roast until the internal temperature of the breast meat reaches 170 degrees F, about 1.5 hours.
8. Let rest for at least 10 minutes before carving to allow juices to settle, this will keep it nice and moist on the inside and the skin will be lovely.
Roasted Carrots and Parsnips
Serves 12
Ingredients:
6 large carrots, peeled and chopped into fork size pieces
6 large parsnips, peeled and chopped into fork size pieces
2-3 Tbs olive oil
Fresh tarragon
Preparation:
1. Mix all ingredients together.
2. Bake at 400 degrees F in a dish until slightly tender, about 1.5 hours, turning about every fifteen minutes. If making with the rest of the dishes listed here, make sure they still have a bit of texture to them so that not everything is mushy in the meal.
Roasted Beets and Fennel
Serves 12
Ingredients:
3 large beets, peeled and cut into fork size pieces with greens reserved for Sauteed Greens listed bellow.
2 large fennel bulbs, chopped into fork size pieces with stalks and tough parts discarded
2-3 Tbs olive oil
Fresh tarragon
Preparation:
1. Mix all ingredients together.
2. Bake at 400 degrees F in a dish until tender, about 1.5 hours, turning about every fifteen minutes. Dish is done when fennel can be easily pierced with a fork.
Baked Yams
Serves 12
Ingredients:
12 lbs sweet potatoes or yams, peeled and cubed
12 Tbs butter
1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground all spice
1/2 tsp ground cloves
2 packages marshmallows
Preparation:
1. In a sauce pan over medium heat, melt butter.
2. Add brown sugar, ginger, all spice, and clove, mix until everything is combined.
3. Pour sugar mixture over yams and toss to coat. (Wash your sauce pan right away, or at least, leave it to soak or it will be impossible to clean later.)
4. Bake at 400 degrees F in a baking dish until tender, about 1 hour, stirring the yams every fifteen minutes to coat with sugar glaze.
5. Cover yams in marshmallows and increase oven to 500 degrees F, bake until marshmallows are golden, about 3 minutes.
Sauteed Greens
Makes about 2 cups
Ingredients:
1 huge bag of Power Greens
Leaves from beets, chopped into 1 inch pieces
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
1. In a skillet over high heat, warm oil until fragrant but not smoking.
2. Add greens, you might need more than one round but they cook really fast so it shouldn't be a problem.
3. Stir constantly until the greens have wilted and turned a deeper green.
4. Put into serving dish. Salt and pepper to taste.
Serves 12
Ingredients:
6 pound whole chicken with neck and gizzards removed (that's all the bonus stuff inside that can be used, along with the carcass, to make chicken stock)
6 sprigs fresh rosemary to stuff inside of chicken
4 sprigs of fresh rosemary, removed from stem and minced (that just means chopped really small)
3 cloves garlic
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Stuff chicken with whole sprigs of rosemary and garlic cloves to add aroma and help keep the chicken moist
3. Run your hand under the skin covering the breast meat to make a pocket for the chopped rosemary and place chopped rosemary evenly under the skin of the breast.
4. Cover all of the skin in olive oil to allow it to crisp nicely without burning.
5. Grind salt and pepper over the skin to taste.
6. Lay on a bed of root veggies, like the carrots and parsnips listed bellow.
7. Roast until the internal temperature of the breast meat reaches 170 degrees F, about 1.5 hours.
8. Let rest for at least 10 minutes before carving to allow juices to settle, this will keep it nice and moist on the inside and the skin will be lovely.
Roasted Carrots and Parsnips
Serves 12
Ingredients:
6 large carrots, peeled and chopped into fork size pieces
6 large parsnips, peeled and chopped into fork size pieces
2-3 Tbs olive oil
Fresh tarragon
Preparation:
1. Mix all ingredients together.
2. Bake at 400 degrees F in a dish until slightly tender, about 1.5 hours, turning about every fifteen minutes. If making with the rest of the dishes listed here, make sure they still have a bit of texture to them so that not everything is mushy in the meal.
Roasted Beets and Fennel
Serves 12
Ingredients:
3 large beets, peeled and cut into fork size pieces with greens reserved for Sauteed Greens listed bellow.
2 large fennel bulbs, chopped into fork size pieces with stalks and tough parts discarded
2-3 Tbs olive oil
Fresh tarragon
Preparation:
1. Mix all ingredients together.
2. Bake at 400 degrees F in a dish until tender, about 1.5 hours, turning about every fifteen minutes. Dish is done when fennel can be easily pierced with a fork.
Baked Yams
Serves 12
Ingredients:
12 lbs sweet potatoes or yams, peeled and cubed
12 Tbs butter
1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground all spice
1/2 tsp ground cloves
2 packages marshmallows
Preparation:
1. In a sauce pan over medium heat, melt butter.
2. Add brown sugar, ginger, all spice, and clove, mix until everything is combined.
3. Pour sugar mixture over yams and toss to coat. (Wash your sauce pan right away, or at least, leave it to soak or it will be impossible to clean later.)
4. Bake at 400 degrees F in a baking dish until tender, about 1 hour, stirring the yams every fifteen minutes to coat with sugar glaze.
5. Cover yams in marshmallows and increase oven to 500 degrees F, bake until marshmallows are golden, about 3 minutes.
Sauteed Greens
Makes about 2 cups
Ingredients:
1 huge bag of Power Greens
Leaves from beets, chopped into 1 inch pieces
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
1. In a skillet over high heat, warm oil until fragrant but not smoking.
2. Add greens, you might need more than one round but they cook really fast so it shouldn't be a problem.
3. Stir constantly until the greens have wilted and turned a deeper green.
4. Put into serving dish. Salt and pepper to taste.
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Scones, Fruit Salad with Yogurt, and Mini Apple Chicken Sausages
What a lovely day for baked goods. I'm trying my hand at gluten free and lactose free baking using a very successful scone recipe from my Steampunk Birthday Tea Party. Baking is always a surprise, you never know if you did it right until it's done. Then you taste to discover if your experiment was a success or not. Most range cooking allows you to alter as your going, taste to see if it needs more salt or a dash of something else, but baking is one where to alter it you have to start from the beginning and make the whole thing over. It makes me keep notes on how to fix things for the future. Let the experiment begin!
Besides the gluten free scones I also made regular scones (see Dried Cherry Scones, but substitute curants for dried cherries), a fruit salad with yogurt, and pan fried mini chicken apple sausages. Enjoy.
Gluten and Lactose Free Scones
Makes 8 large scones
Ingredients:
2 cups gluten free all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/3 cup sugar (I like evaporated cane juice)
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
8 Tbs butter substitute (I used Earth Balance)
1/2 cup raisins and currants (or other dried fruit in small pieces)
1/2 cup sour cream substitute (I used Sour Supreme)
1 egg
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, mix flour, xanthan gum, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. Cut in butter substitute until completely incorporated, use a pastry cutter, two knives, or your fingers. There should be no lumps and the consistency should be of coarse meal.
4. Mix in dried fruit.
5. In a small bowl, whisk together sour cream substitute and egg until smooth.
6. Stir sour cream mixture into flour mixture until there are no more dry pockets, you will probably have to use your hands for this.
7. Form dough into a 6 to 8 inch circle, 3/4 inch thick. Cut into 8 triangles using a sharp knife. Place triangles onto a cookie sheet at least 1 inch apart. Bake until golden, about 15-17 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes.
8. Serve with preserves.
Fruit Salad with Yogurt
Serves 12
Ingredients:
1/2 cantaloupe, seeded and cubed
3 mangoes, cubed
2 granny smith apples, cored and cubed
3 green pears, cored and cubed
1 basket blackberries
1 large carton vanilla yogurt
Preparation:
1. In a large bowl, combine cantaloupe, mango, apple, and pear.
2. Top with berries and yogurt.
Optional: Top with granola.
Besides the gluten free scones I also made regular scones (see Dried Cherry Scones, but substitute curants for dried cherries), a fruit salad with yogurt, and pan fried mini chicken apple sausages. Enjoy.
Gluten and Lactose Free Scones
Ingredients:
2 cups gluten free all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/3 cup sugar (I like evaporated cane juice)
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
8 Tbs butter substitute (I used Earth Balance)
1/2 cup raisins and currants (or other dried fruit in small pieces)
1/2 cup sour cream substitute (I used Sour Supreme)
1 egg
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, mix flour, xanthan gum, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. Cut in butter substitute until completely incorporated, use a pastry cutter, two knives, or your fingers. There should be no lumps and the consistency should be of coarse meal.
4. Mix in dried fruit.
5. In a small bowl, whisk together sour cream substitute and egg until smooth.
6. Stir sour cream mixture into flour mixture until there are no more dry pockets, you will probably have to use your hands for this.
7. Form dough into a 6 to 8 inch circle, 3/4 inch thick. Cut into 8 triangles using a sharp knife. Place triangles onto a cookie sheet at least 1 inch apart. Bake until golden, about 15-17 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes.
8. Serve with preserves.
Fruit Salad with Yogurt
Serves 12
Ingredients:
1/2 cantaloupe, seeded and cubed
3 mangoes, cubed
2 granny smith apples, cored and cubed
3 green pears, cored and cubed
1 basket blackberries
1 large carton vanilla yogurt
Preparation:
1. In a large bowl, combine cantaloupe, mango, apple, and pear.
2. Top with berries and yogurt.
Optional: Top with granola.
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Polenta topped with a Mushroom, Bacon, Greens Compote
Good morning. On my hunting through the world of food porn I stumbled across the idea to make polenta, which I adore. This is great because I have a ton of cornmeal and recently made corn bread, but managed to forget to use any of the huge bag of yellow corn meal to do so. This means that I've made more of a corn mush than a traditional polenta, the difference being the grind of the meal being fine rather than corse, but I'm still calling it polenta. Because it sounds tastier.
Polenta
Makes way more than I intended for 12 people
Ingredients:
3 cups cornmeal
3 cups cold water
9 cups boiling water
4 1/2 tsp salt
Preparation:
1. Bring larger portion of water and salt to a boil.
2. Mix corn meal and equal amount of cold water together in a bowl, then add to boiling salted water.
3. Cover and cook over medium heat for 10-15 minutes. Stir frequently to avoid scalding the bottom.
4. Serve immediately or pour into a pan to set.
Optionally: cool in fridge overnight, then cut into cubes and fry in butter or olive oil until golden brown.
Mushroom, Bacon, Greens Compote
Serves 12
Ingredients:
3 bags of sliced cremini mushrooms
1 carton of yellow cherry tomatoes, chopped in half
2 packages of bacon, cut into bite sized pieces
1 bunch of spring onions, roughly chopped discarding whites
1 bag of Super Greens
1 cup of marsala wine
2 Tbs cornstarch mixed in 2 Tbs cold water
Preparation:
1. In a very large skillet (or multiple batches for a large skillet) over medium to medium high heat, start cooking bacon pieces until there is some grease in the pan.
2. Add the spring onion and mushrooms. Saute, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms have started to change color.
3. Add the wine and continue cooking until the alcohol has all evaporated (put your face over the pan and inhale through your nose, if you feel a little buzz, the alcohol is still being cooked away).
4. Add the tomatoes and greens, cook until the greens have wilted.
5. Remove all of the solid stuff to serving bowl, reserving the liquid in the pan.
6. Add the cornstarch mixture and stir with a wooden or silicone spoon until the liquid thickens evenly.
7. Mix the solids and the gravy together. Serve with polenta.
Polenta
Makes way more than I intended for 12 people
Ingredients:3 cups cornmeal
3 cups cold water
9 cups boiling water
4 1/2 tsp salt
Preparation:
1. Bring larger portion of water and salt to a boil.
2. Mix corn meal and equal amount of cold water together in a bowl, then add to boiling salted water.
3. Cover and cook over medium heat for 10-15 minutes. Stir frequently to avoid scalding the bottom.
4. Serve immediately or pour into a pan to set.
Optionally: cool in fridge overnight, then cut into cubes and fry in butter or olive oil until golden brown.
Mushroom, Bacon, Greens Compote
Serves 12
Ingredients:
3 bags of sliced cremini mushrooms
1 carton of yellow cherry tomatoes, chopped in half
2 packages of bacon, cut into bite sized pieces
1 bunch of spring onions, roughly chopped discarding whites
1 bag of Super Greens
1 cup of marsala wine
2 Tbs cornstarch mixed in 2 Tbs cold water
Preparation:
1. In a very large skillet (or multiple batches for a large skillet) over medium to medium high heat, start cooking bacon pieces until there is some grease in the pan.
2. Add the spring onion and mushrooms. Saute, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms have started to change color.
3. Add the wine and continue cooking until the alcohol has all evaporated (put your face over the pan and inhale through your nose, if you feel a little buzz, the alcohol is still being cooked away).
4. Add the tomatoes and greens, cook until the greens have wilted.
5. Remove all of the solid stuff to serving bowl, reserving the liquid in the pan.
6. Add the cornstarch mixture and stir with a wooden or silicone spoon until the liquid thickens evenly.
7. Mix the solids and the gravy together. Serve with polenta.
Monday, December 3, 2012
Beef Stir Fry Over Rice and Blackberry Rocket Salad
As an experiment I tried out cooking at the office today. Amazing stove, very little counter space. The lack of counter space is perplexing to me because there could be plenty if things were put away into drawers, like the tea collection on the counter could become a tea drawer. Perhaps I will take the initiative to make that kitchen more usable through reorganizing and labeling with a label maker.
Onto the food, stir fry is an amazingly versatile dish that is fun to play around with. Have vegans, cut out the meat and add extra firm tofu, have someone who loves mushrooms, pop those suckers right on in, want chicken, no problem, rice noodles make your taste buds sing, in they go. The secret is to cook over high heat with an oil with a high smoking point (I used sesame oil because I wanted an extra bit of chinese flavor, but olive oil would also work) and to constantly stir. What this means is that you prepare everything ahead of time and when the stove is on, just toss everything together and stir it so nothing burns. If serving for only a few people, a wok is a wonderful thing because it keeps the oil at the bottom and allows for very quick cooking without drowning the food in the oil. There are industrial sized woks, but I happen not to have one, so I just used a large pot and made extra sure to stir like I meant it.
Beef Stir Fry Over Rice
Serves 12
Ingredients:
2 Tbs sesame oil
2 Tbs minced ginger
1 clove garlic minced
1.5 lbs beef cut into strips (I found "stir fry beef" but try to stick to thin cut loin if your store doesn't have this)
2 cans water chestnuts, drained
2 cans bamboo shoots, drained
2 cans baby corn, drained
4 handfuls snap peas
3 baby bok choy, chopped
2 yellow bell peppers, seeded and chopped
2 green bell peppers, seeded and chopped
1/3 cups stir fry sauce
1 package of chopped extra firm tofu
Preparation:
1. In a large pot or giant wok, heat oil over high heat. Add ginger and garlic, cook until fragrant.
2. Add rest of ingredients, stirring constantly until the meat is cooked all the way through.
3. Serve warm over rice.
Blackberry Rocket Salad
Serves 12
Ingredients:
2 boxes of rocket
2 packages of blackberries
1 cup sliced almonds
rose vinaigrette to taste
Preparation:
1. Dress the rocket with the vinaigrette so that the leaves are coated, but you salad isn't drowning in dressing.
2. Layer on top berries and nuts.
Onto the food, stir fry is an amazingly versatile dish that is fun to play around with. Have vegans, cut out the meat and add extra firm tofu, have someone who loves mushrooms, pop those suckers right on in, want chicken, no problem, rice noodles make your taste buds sing, in they go. The secret is to cook over high heat with an oil with a high smoking point (I used sesame oil because I wanted an extra bit of chinese flavor, but olive oil would also work) and to constantly stir. What this means is that you prepare everything ahead of time and when the stove is on, just toss everything together and stir it so nothing burns. If serving for only a few people, a wok is a wonderful thing because it keeps the oil at the bottom and allows for very quick cooking without drowning the food in the oil. There are industrial sized woks, but I happen not to have one, so I just used a large pot and made extra sure to stir like I meant it.
Beef Stir Fry Over Rice
Serves 12
Ingredients:
2 Tbs sesame oil
2 Tbs minced ginger
1 clove garlic minced
1.5 lbs beef cut into strips (I found "stir fry beef" but try to stick to thin cut loin if your store doesn't have this)
2 cans water chestnuts, drained
2 cans bamboo shoots, drained
2 cans baby corn, drained
4 handfuls snap peas
3 baby bok choy, chopped
2 yellow bell peppers, seeded and chopped
2 green bell peppers, seeded and chopped
1/3 cups stir fry sauce
1 package of chopped extra firm tofu
Preparation:
1. In a large pot or giant wok, heat oil over high heat. Add ginger and garlic, cook until fragrant.
2. Add rest of ingredients, stirring constantly until the meat is cooked all the way through.
3. Serve warm over rice.
Blackberry Rocket Salad
Serves 12
Ingredients:
2 boxes of rocket
2 packages of blackberries
1 cup sliced almonds
rose vinaigrette to taste
Preparation:
1. Dress the rocket with the vinaigrette so that the leaves are coated, but you salad isn't drowning in dressing.
2. Layer on top berries and nuts.
Saturday, December 1, 2012
Steampunk Birthday Tea Party!
This weekend I hosted a lovely tea party in celebration of the anniversary of my birth. An eclectic group of my dear friends came together to eat, drink, and be merry, in less than traditional attire. There were top-hats, goggles, bowlers, bustles, corsets, fishnets, and so much more. I simply adore costumes and steampunk is currently my favorite genre.
Enough about the fashion, I know you are more interested in the food. A selection of four tea sandwiches were nestled around a blackberry mixed green salad. Fresh made scones were a big hit. The cake turned out fine, though I feel like I could have been less lazy and made cupcakes, but time has a way of getting away from me when I prepare delicious food.
Tea Sandwiches
Serves 4
8 slices of sturdy white or wheat bread
mayonnaise
mini shrimp, cooked and shelled
sweet hot mustard
2 slices aged swiss cheese
horseradish
butter at room temperature
4 thin slices roast beef
1 cucumber sliced thin
cream cheese
Preparation:
1. Butter the bread to keep the fillings from falling out and to protect the bread from the spreads seeping in. This is not necessary if the sandwiches are to be eaten immediately.
2. Prepare one sandwich of each combination: shrimp and mayo, swiss and mustard, roast beef and horseradish, cucumber and cream cheese.
3. Cut off crusts, cut diagonally and diagonally again to make 16 small triangles (four of each sandwich type).
Optional: use excess cucumber to make cucumber water. In a large pitcher, add cucumber and ice to water, let sit for at least 2 minutes before serving.
Dried Cherry Scones
Makes 8 large scones
Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar (I like evaporated cane juice)
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
8 Tbs cold butter
1/2 cup dried cherries (or other dried fruit in small pieces)
1/2 cup sour cream
1 egg
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. Cut in butter until completely incorporated, use a pastry cutter, two knives, or your fingers. There should be no butter lumps and the consistency should be of coarse meal.
4. Mix in dried fruit.
5. In a small bowl, whisk together sour cream and egg until smooth.
6. Stir sour cream mixture into flour mixture until there are no more dry pockets, you will probably have to use your hands for this.
7. Form dough into a 6 to 8 inch circle, 3/4 inch thick. Cut into 8 triangles using a sharp knife. Place triangles onto a cookie sheet at least 1 inch apart. Bake until golden, about 15-17 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes.
8. Serve with preserves and double devon cream (or butter, as a last resort).
Blackberry Salad
Serves 12
Ingredients:
1 large box of mixed greens salad
2 cartons of blackberries
1 bag sliced almonds
2 handfuls crumbled feta
champagne vinaigrette
Preparation:
1. Dress mixed greens in a separate bowl a small amount at a time to ensure good coverage without drowning the salad.
2. Layer fruit, nuts, and cheese on top of salad so the heavy things don't sink to the bottom.
Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cake with Apricot Raspberry Filling and Cream Cheese Frosting
Makes 1 cake
Ingredients:
1 box Duncan Heinz chocolate cake mix (yeah, whatever, it's easy)
oil as per box directions
eggs as per box directions
1 bag mini chocolate chips
butter for greasing cake pans
4-6 Tbs apricot raspberry preserves
1 tub cream cheese frosting
Tootsie rolls to make top hats
2 sugar pearls to make lenses for top hat goggles
1 package golden sugar crystals
Preparation:
1. Prepare the cake batter as per the directions on the box. Add chocolate chips to batter.
2. Pour batter into two greased 9 inch pans and bake as per the direction on the box.
3. Let the cakes cool completely before decorating.
4. Using thread or a very sharp long knife, cut off top of cakes to make them level. (I can't bring myself to waste cake like this, it feels like a sin to sacrifice substance for looks, but do it if you want a flat topped cake).
5. Put a layer of preserves on top of bottom cake, then layer the top cake, making sure that they are lined up.
6. Frost cake, paying particular attention to the sides, edges, and top. If you cut off the top of the cake, you will need a crumb layer of frosting, which just means a thin layer to trap all of the crumbs, then a thicker layer to cover the crumb layer.
7. Decorate with sugar crystals and top hats with goggles. Directions for top hats are here. I use sugar pearls for the eyes instead of the modeling chocolate to make these easier. Also, I'm lazy and don't paint the goggles with luster dust, these things are enough work without that, though the luster dust is awesome.
Enough about the fashion, I know you are more interested in the food. A selection of four tea sandwiches were nestled around a blackberry mixed green salad. Fresh made scones were a big hit. The cake turned out fine, though I feel like I could have been less lazy and made cupcakes, but time has a way of getting away from me when I prepare delicious food.
Tea Sandwiches
Serves 4
8 slices of sturdy white or wheat bread
mayonnaise
mini shrimp, cooked and shelled
sweet hot mustard
2 slices aged swiss cheese
horseradish
butter at room temperature
4 thin slices roast beef
1 cucumber sliced thin
cream cheese
Preparation:
1. Butter the bread to keep the fillings from falling out and to protect the bread from the spreads seeping in. This is not necessary if the sandwiches are to be eaten immediately.
2. Prepare one sandwich of each combination: shrimp and mayo, swiss and mustard, roast beef and horseradish, cucumber and cream cheese.
3. Cut off crusts, cut diagonally and diagonally again to make 16 small triangles (four of each sandwich type).
Optional: use excess cucumber to make cucumber water. In a large pitcher, add cucumber and ice to water, let sit for at least 2 minutes before serving.
Dried Cherry Scones
Makes 8 large scones
Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar (I like evaporated cane juice)
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
8 Tbs cold butter
1/2 cup dried cherries (or other dried fruit in small pieces)
1/2 cup sour cream
1 egg
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. Cut in butter until completely incorporated, use a pastry cutter, two knives, or your fingers. There should be no butter lumps and the consistency should be of coarse meal.
4. Mix in dried fruit.
5. In a small bowl, whisk together sour cream and egg until smooth.
6. Stir sour cream mixture into flour mixture until there are no more dry pockets, you will probably have to use your hands for this.
7. Form dough into a 6 to 8 inch circle, 3/4 inch thick. Cut into 8 triangles using a sharp knife. Place triangles onto a cookie sheet at least 1 inch apart. Bake until golden, about 15-17 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes.
8. Serve with preserves and double devon cream (or butter, as a last resort).
Blackberry Salad
Serves 12
Ingredients:
1 large box of mixed greens salad
2 cartons of blackberries
1 bag sliced almonds
2 handfuls crumbled feta
champagne vinaigrette
Preparation:
1. Dress mixed greens in a separate bowl a small amount at a time to ensure good coverage without drowning the salad.
2. Layer fruit, nuts, and cheese on top of salad so the heavy things don't sink to the bottom.
Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cake with Apricot Raspberry Filling and Cream Cheese Frosting
Makes 1 cake
Ingredients:
1 box Duncan Heinz chocolate cake mix (yeah, whatever, it's easy)
oil as per box directions
eggs as per box directions
1 bag mini chocolate chips
butter for greasing cake pans
4-6 Tbs apricot raspberry preserves
1 tub cream cheese frosting
Tootsie rolls to make top hats
2 sugar pearls to make lenses for top hat goggles
1 package golden sugar crystals
Preparation:
1. Prepare the cake batter as per the directions on the box. Add chocolate chips to batter.
2. Pour batter into two greased 9 inch pans and bake as per the direction on the box.
3. Let the cakes cool completely before decorating.
4. Using thread or a very sharp long knife, cut off top of cakes to make them level. (I can't bring myself to waste cake like this, it feels like a sin to sacrifice substance for looks, but do it if you want a flat topped cake).
5. Put a layer of preserves on top of bottom cake, then layer the top cake, making sure that they are lined up.
6. Frost cake, paying particular attention to the sides, edges, and top. If you cut off the top of the cake, you will need a crumb layer of frosting, which just means a thin layer to trap all of the crumbs, then a thicker layer to cover the crumb layer.
7. Decorate with sugar crystals and top hats with goggles. Directions for top hats are here. I use sugar pearls for the eyes instead of the modeling chocolate to make these easier. Also, I'm lazy and don't paint the goggles with luster dust, these things are enough work without that, though the luster dust is awesome.
Friday, November 30, 2012
Chili, Purple Corn Bread, Apple Spinach Salad
On such a yucky, rainy day it seemed prudent to have something warm and hearty. The solution was chili. To accompany the chili, I made gluten free, dairy free, purple corn bread by modifying a recipe. To lighten the meal I had a salad featuring the crisp taste of green apples mellowed out by spinach.
Chili
Serves 12
Ingredients:
2 Tbs olive oil
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 sweet onion, diced
2 habanero peppers, seeded and minced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
4 red bell peppers, seeded and diced
4 lbs ground beef
1 Tbs hot paprika
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp cayenne pepper
2 oz 100% cacao chocolate
2 28 oz cans of diced tomatoes, with the liquid
3 cans of beans, drained
Prepared:
1. Heat olive oil in a large pot on high heat and saute the garlic, onion, and three types of peppers until the onions are glassy.
2. Add the beef and cook until there's no more pink.
3. Add the spices and chocolate and cook for another minute, until the chocolate is all melted and incorporated.
4. Add the tomatoes with the liquid and the beans, cook for another minute.
5. Reduce heat to low and simmer for at least 45 minutes to meld the flavors.
6. Serve with sour cream, cheddar cheese, and corn bread.
Purple Corn Bread
Serves 12
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups sugar (I like evaporated cane juice)
1/2 cup butter substitute (to make it dairy free I used Earth Balance butter substitute)
3 eggs
2 cups water
2 cups purple corn meal
2 cups all purpose gluten free flour
1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Cream butter into sugar in a large bowl.
3. Add eggs and beat until blended.
4. Beat in water and corn meal, set aside.
5. In a separate large bowl, mix flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, and salt.
6. Pour the dry into the wet and mix until just incorporated.
7. Transfer batter to a greased baking pan.
8. Bake until a toothpick stuck in the middle comes out clean, about 35 minutes.
9. Serve warm or bake up to 1 day ahead of time. Serve with dairy free butter and honey.
Apple Spinach Salad
Serves 12
Ingredients:
1 granny smith apple, cored and sliced very thin
1 large box of spinach
1 handful chopped walnuts
1 handful shredded extra sharp cheddar
poppy seed dressing to taste
Preparation:
1. Dress the spinach so leaves are lightly coated in dressing
2. Layer the rest of ingredients on top.
Serves 12
Ingredients:
2 Tbs olive oil
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 sweet onion, diced
2 habanero peppers, seeded and minced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
4 red bell peppers, seeded and diced
4 lbs ground beef
1 Tbs hot paprika
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp cayenne pepper
2 oz 100% cacao chocolate
2 28 oz cans of diced tomatoes, with the liquid
3 cans of beans, drained
Prepared:
1. Heat olive oil in a large pot on high heat and saute the garlic, onion, and three types of peppers until the onions are glassy.
2. Add the beef and cook until there's no more pink.
3. Add the spices and chocolate and cook for another minute, until the chocolate is all melted and incorporated.
4. Add the tomatoes with the liquid and the beans, cook for another minute.
5. Reduce heat to low and simmer for at least 45 minutes to meld the flavors.
6. Serve with sour cream, cheddar cheese, and corn bread.
Purple Corn Bread
Serves 12
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups sugar (I like evaporated cane juice)
1/2 cup butter substitute (to make it dairy free I used Earth Balance butter substitute)
3 eggs
2 cups water
2 cups purple corn meal
2 cups all purpose gluten free flour
1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Cream butter into sugar in a large bowl.
3. Add eggs and beat until blended.
4. Beat in water and corn meal, set aside.
5. In a separate large bowl, mix flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, and salt.
6. Pour the dry into the wet and mix until just incorporated.
7. Transfer batter to a greased baking pan.
8. Bake until a toothpick stuck in the middle comes out clean, about 35 minutes.
9. Serve warm or bake up to 1 day ahead of time. Serve with dairy free butter and honey.
Apple Spinach Salad
Serves 12
Ingredients:
1 granny smith apple, cored and sliced very thin
1 large box of spinach
1 handful chopped walnuts
1 handful shredded extra sharp cheddar
poppy seed dressing to taste
Preparation:
1. Dress the spinach so leaves are lightly coated in dressing
2. Layer the rest of ingredients on top.
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Side note for the gluten free portion
Just found a great article reviewing gluten free beers. Enjoy!
http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2012/03/the-best-and-worst-gluten-free-beers.html
http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2012/03/the-best-and-worst-gluten-free-beers.html
Chicken Fennel Quinoa, Persimmon Arugula Salad, and Baked Pears
Hope that everyone is chowing down with delight. For lunch we have a hearty, yet healthy, quinoa dish that features chicken, fennel, celery, and onion that is reminiscent of chicken noodle soup. This sturdier dish is contrasted with a lighter salad that has an arugula (also called rocket) base with sliced persimmons and prosciutto bits and a light champaign vinaigrette. For dessert there is baked pear that is spiced with clove and ginger as well as a splash of amaretto. Alas, the pears baked down a bit more than I anticipated, so if I do make this dish again I will double and possibly triple the recipe.
Chicken Fennel Quinoa
Serves 12
Ingredients:
1 small onion, roughly diced
2 bulbs fennel, diced to the size of onions
3 stalks celery, diced to onion size
2 cups quinoa
3 cups water
6 chicken thighs cut into bite size pieces
1/2 cup cooking sherry
4 Tbs olive oil, divided
salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
1. In a large pot heat half of the olive oil over high heat.
2. Saute the onion, fennel, and celery until the onion is glassy.
3. Add quinoa and saute for 2 more minutes, this helps to bring out the nutty flavor of the quinoa. Salt and pepper to taste.
4. Add water and reduce heat to low, simmer for 15 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed by the quinoa.
5. While the quinoa is cooking, in a skillet heat the remaining oil over high heat.
6. Saute the chicken, when it is half way cooked add the sherry.
7. Saute chicken until it is cooked all the way through. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
8. Combine the chicken and quinoa once everything is finished cooking.
Persimmon Arugula Salad
Served 12
Ingredients:
2 boxes of arugula (or 4 bags)
3 persimmons, peeled, cored, and sliced thin
1 package of prosciutto, broken into small pieces
Champaign dressing
Preparation:
1. Dress the arugula with the dressing to fully coat all the leaves.
2. Layer on top persimmons then prosciutto.
Optional: This salad would also do well with the addition of a light cheese like mozzarella , pomegranate seeds, or nuts.
Baked Pears
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
6 pears, peeled, cored, and diced (choose ones that are less sandy, like the brown skinned pears rather than the green ones)
2 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 Tbs butter, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a baking dish place pear pieces, evenly cover with clove, ginger, and brown sugar, stir to combine. Dot with butter to prevent sticking.
3. Bake for 45 minutes or until they smell so good you can't wait any more. the goal is to have them be a little mushy without falling apart.
4. Top with walnuts for garnish and added richness.
Serves 12
Ingredients:
1 small onion, roughly diced
2 bulbs fennel, diced to the size of onions
3 stalks celery, diced to onion size
2 cups quinoa
3 cups water
6 chicken thighs cut into bite size pieces
1/2 cup cooking sherry
4 Tbs olive oil, divided
salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
1. In a large pot heat half of the olive oil over high heat.
2. Saute the onion, fennel, and celery until the onion is glassy.
3. Add quinoa and saute for 2 more minutes, this helps to bring out the nutty flavor of the quinoa. Salt and pepper to taste.
4. Add water and reduce heat to low, simmer for 15 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed by the quinoa.
5. While the quinoa is cooking, in a skillet heat the remaining oil over high heat.
6. Saute the chicken, when it is half way cooked add the sherry.
7. Saute chicken until it is cooked all the way through. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
8. Combine the chicken and quinoa once everything is finished cooking.
Persimmon Arugula Salad
Served 12
Ingredients:
2 boxes of arugula (or 4 bags)
3 persimmons, peeled, cored, and sliced thin
1 package of prosciutto, broken into small pieces
Champaign dressing
Preparation:
1. Dress the arugula with the dressing to fully coat all the leaves.
2. Layer on top persimmons then prosciutto.
Optional: This salad would also do well with the addition of a light cheese like mozzarella , pomegranate seeds, or nuts.
Baked Pears
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
6 pears, peeled, cored, and diced (choose ones that are less sandy, like the brown skinned pears rather than the green ones)
2 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 Tbs butter, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a baking dish place pear pieces, evenly cover with clove, ginger, and brown sugar, stir to combine. Dot with butter to prevent sticking.
3. Bake for 45 minutes or until they smell so good you can't wait any more. the goal is to have them be a little mushy without falling apart.
4. Top with walnuts for garnish and added richness.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Tented Salmon, Parboiled Asparagus, Mini Sausages, and Rice
Healthy is the name of the game today. Salmon is a flavorful fish that I absolutely love. The steam baking by foil tenting leaves the fish moist by locking in the juices. Parboiled asparagus compliments the salmon quite well and the jasmine rice provides a nice base. For those that don't like fish, I provided mini apple chicken sausages, just fried them up in a pan. Here's how I did it.
Salmon
Serves 12
Ingredients:
6 lbs salmon (1/2 lbs per person)
3 lemons sliced into disks
olive oil
apple cider vinegar
salt and pepper
tinfoil
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Tear a large sheet of tinfoil and place the salmon in the center.
3. Cover the salmon in olive oil, then salt and pepper, then a splash of apple cider vinegar, then cover the salmon in lemon slices.
4. Seal the tinfoil to form a pouch, place the pouch on a baking tin to catch any leaks.
5. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the salmon has turned a lighter pink all the way through.
Parboiled Asparagus
Serves 12
Ingredients:
3 bunches of asparagus, cut into bite size chunks on a diagonal
olive oil
salt and pepper
Preparation:
1. Bring water to a rolling boil in a large pot.
2. Boil the asparagus for 2 minutes, then drain all the water.
3. Toss the asparagus with olive oil, salt, and pepper to taste.
Serves 12
Ingredients:
6 lbs salmon (1/2 lbs per person)
3 lemons sliced into disks
olive oil
apple cider vinegar
salt and pepper
tinfoil
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Tear a large sheet of tinfoil and place the salmon in the center.
3. Cover the salmon in olive oil, then salt and pepper, then a splash of apple cider vinegar, then cover the salmon in lemon slices.
4. Seal the tinfoil to form a pouch, place the pouch on a baking tin to catch any leaks.
5. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the salmon has turned a lighter pink all the way through.
Parboiled Asparagus
Serves 12
Ingredients:
3 bunches of asparagus, cut into bite size chunks on a diagonal
olive oil
salt and pepper
Preparation:
1. Bring water to a rolling boil in a large pot.
2. Boil the asparagus for 2 minutes, then drain all the water.
3. Toss the asparagus with olive oil, salt, and pepper to taste.
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Bell Pepper Pasta with Chick Pea, Raisin, Spinach Salad
Welcome back to your regularly scheduled programme. Today I decided to juxtapose simple comfort food with something a bit more complex in flavors and ingredients. Angel hair pasta with green and red bell peppers and a slightly creamy sauce is the comfort food. A chick pea, raisin, spinach salad is the splash of something different. The green pasta is gluten free and had a cabernet tomato sauce.
Bell Pepper Pasta
Serves 12
Ingredients:
2 lbs angel hair pasta
2 green bell peppers, julienned
2 red bell peppers, julienned
1/2 jar vodka sauce
1/2 jar cabernet pasta sauce
Parmesan cheese
Preparation:
1. Boil pasta in water until tender, follow directions on the box. Drain.
2. In a large pan over medium heat, combined all ingredients except for cheese, stirring until combined.
3. Top with parmesan cheese.
Chick Pea, Raisin, Spinach Salad
Serves 12
Ingredients:
1 bag of spinach, chopped
1 bunch of cilantro, chopped
3 cans of chick peas, rinsed and drained
1 bag of raisin medley
1/2 bag of plain raisins
2 cups of macadamia nuts
2 cups of dates, chopped
1 package of prosciutto
Vinaigrette salad dressing
Everyday seasoning
Preparation:
1. Combine all ingredients, making sure to mix well. Season with vinaigrette and everyday seasoning to taste.
Bell Pepper PastaServes 12
Ingredients:
2 lbs angel hair pasta
2 green bell peppers, julienned
2 red bell peppers, julienned
1/2 jar vodka sauce
1/2 jar cabernet pasta sauce
Parmesan cheese
Preparation:
1. Boil pasta in water until tender, follow directions on the box. Drain.
2. In a large pan over medium heat, combined all ingredients except for cheese, stirring until combined.
3. Top with parmesan cheese.
Chick Pea, Raisin, Spinach Salad
Serves 12
Ingredients:
1 bag of spinach, chopped
1 bunch of cilantro, chopped
3 cans of chick peas, rinsed and drained
1 bag of raisin medley
1/2 bag of plain raisins
2 cups of macadamia nuts
2 cups of dates, chopped
1 package of prosciutto
Vinaigrette salad dressing
Everyday seasoning
Preparation:
1. Combine all ingredients, making sure to mix well. Season with vinaigrette and everyday seasoning to taste.
Monday, November 26, 2012
Special Delivery
Hope that everyone had a great Thanksgiving. Since my flight doesn't leave SoCal until 2pm, today is delivery day. What does that mean? It means I have ordered you delivery from Koh Samui & The Monkey, a Thai place that has a fantastic looking lunch menu, so everything has a side of rice. The food should be arriving between 11:45 and noon, so it's up to you to open the door and let in the delicious dishes. Here's what I got you guys:
Praram Spinach Chicken (not spicy)
Spinach chicken with peanut sauce
Wild Curry (mild)
Chicken in Thai herb curry
Prawn Asparagus (not spicy)
Stir-fried prawn and asparagus in garlic sauce
Garlic and Pepper Beef (not spicy)
Sauteed beef with crispy garlic and black pepper
Lemongrass Chicken (medium)
Sauteed chicken with onion, bell pepper, baby corn, snow peas, and carrot in chili sauce
Southern Kur-Kling (medium)
Sauteed ground roast chicken stir-fried with Thai herbs
Tofu Green Beans (medium)
Sauteed tofu with green beans in spicy curry sauce
Pumpkin Curry Chicken (not spicy)
In red curry sauce with basil and bell pepper
Yellow Curry Chicken (not spicy)
With potatoes and carrots
Green Curry Beef (medium)
Sliced beef with bamboo shoots, zucchini, basil, and bell peppers in green curry
Red Curry Chicken (medium)
Sliced chicken with bamboo shoots, zucchini, basil, and bell peppers in red curry
These dishes are probably going to do best shared, which means you'll get to try a little of everything and nobody will be disappointed if there is a meal they don't like. So, grab some rice and a spoon full of each thing and tell me what you liked best. Tried to get a good mix of medium and not spicy, but didn't go for anything crazy spicy because I don't know if that would even be eaten. Let me know if you like your food really spicy and I'll make sure to work that into the meals in the future; otherwise, I'll keep the food spiced rather than spicy.
*Note to those not eating gluten: anything with a thickened sauce is not for you, so if it looks more like a gelatin than a soup, stay away. It should be fine, but it's a good rule of thumb anywhere. Also, asian food tends to be thickened with cornstarch rather than flour, anyway.
*Note to those not having dairy/garlic/onions: most of these dishes are fine, just don't eat the Garlic Pepper Beef & Prawn Asparagus and pick out the onions in the dishes you do eat. There should be no dairy in these dishes.
Enjoy your meal and I'll see you tomorrow.
Praram Spinach Chicken (not spicy)
Spinach chicken with peanut sauce
Wild Curry (mild)
Chicken in Thai herb curry
Prawn Asparagus (not spicy)
Stir-fried prawn and asparagus in garlic sauce
Garlic and Pepper Beef (not spicy)
Sauteed beef with crispy garlic and black pepper
Lemongrass Chicken (medium)
Sauteed chicken with onion, bell pepper, baby corn, snow peas, and carrot in chili sauce
Southern Kur-Kling (medium)
Sauteed ground roast chicken stir-fried with Thai herbs
Tofu Green Beans (medium)
Sauteed tofu with green beans in spicy curry sauce
Pumpkin Curry Chicken (not spicy)
In red curry sauce with basil and bell pepper
Yellow Curry Chicken (not spicy)
With potatoes and carrots
Green Curry Beef (medium)
Sliced beef with bamboo shoots, zucchini, basil, and bell peppers in green curry
Red Curry Chicken (medium)
Sliced chicken with bamboo shoots, zucchini, basil, and bell peppers in red curry
These dishes are probably going to do best shared, which means you'll get to try a little of everything and nobody will be disappointed if there is a meal they don't like. So, grab some rice and a spoon full of each thing and tell me what you liked best. Tried to get a good mix of medium and not spicy, but didn't go for anything crazy spicy because I don't know if that would even be eaten. Let me know if you like your food really spicy and I'll make sure to work that into the meals in the future; otherwise, I'll keep the food spiced rather than spicy.
*Note to those not eating gluten: anything with a thickened sauce is not for you, so if it looks more like a gelatin than a soup, stay away. It should be fine, but it's a good rule of thumb anywhere. Also, asian food tends to be thickened with cornstarch rather than flour, anyway.
*Note to those not having dairy/garlic/onions: most of these dishes are fine, just don't eat the Garlic Pepper Beef & Prawn Asparagus and pick out the onions in the dishes you do eat. There should be no dairy in these dishes.
Enjoy your meal and I'll see you tomorrow.
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Sandwiches, Raspberry Salad, and Chocolate Chip Cookies
Since I'm going to be out of town tomorrow, I have prepared lunch early and left the items for a lovely sandwich bar in the fridge. the cookies turned out a bit more *ahem* crispy than I intended, so I have altered the recipe below to reflect the changes I would have made. There are gluten free cookies in a box in the fridge.
Sandwichs
Serves 8-12
Ingredients:
Bread (there is also gluten free bread in the fridge too)
Mayo
Mustard
Lettuce (there is a small box with the rest of the sandwich fixings)
Tomato (these will need to be sliced)
Cucumber (this will need to be sliced)
Red onion (this will need to be sliced, remember to cut from the top and to peel away the papery skin on the outside)
Sliced meat (there are 3 kinds, go nuts)
Sliced cheese (there are 3 kinds, mix and match)
Preparation:
1. It's a sandwich, just layer the stuff inside making sure that the condiments are on the bread and the tomato isn't touching the bread and you'll be fine.
2. Stuff your gob with deliciousness.
Raspberry Salad
Serves 8-12
Ingredients:
1 large box of herb salad mix
2 containers of raspberries
1 bag of mixed seeds
raspberry salad dressing
Preparation:
1. Place a bit of each of the ingredients on your plate so that you get a good amount of each yummy thing. Feel free to use some of sandwich items to make your salad even better.
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Yields 60 small cookies or fewer large cookies
Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
3/4 cups evaporated cane juice (or regular sugar if you must)
3/4 cups brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 cups chocolate chips (I like the mini ones)
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl mix together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. In another large bowl, cream together butter, sugars, and vanilla until everything is combined.
4. Add eggs one at a time, mixing until thoroughly incorporated before adding the next egg.
5. Add the flour mixture a bit at a time to insure that there isn't flour all over your kitchen.
6. Once all of the dough is combine, add the chocolate chips (this is where you would also add other goodies if altering the recipe, like nuts or dried fruit or other candy).
7. Drop cookie dough onto an ungreased baking sheet using a spoon, spacing them to try to avoid them merging together.
8. Bake for 9-11 minutes, or until golden brown. If wanting to have extra crispy cookies, bake for 20 minutes or until darker brown. Remove cookies to cool on a wire rack.
Sandwichs
Serves 8-12
Ingredients:
Bread (there is also gluten free bread in the fridge too)
Mayo
Mustard
Lettuce (there is a small box with the rest of the sandwich fixings)
Tomato (these will need to be sliced)
Cucumber (this will need to be sliced)
Red onion (this will need to be sliced, remember to cut from the top and to peel away the papery skin on the outside)
Sliced meat (there are 3 kinds, go nuts)
Sliced cheese (there are 3 kinds, mix and match)
Preparation:
1. It's a sandwich, just layer the stuff inside making sure that the condiments are on the bread and the tomato isn't touching the bread and you'll be fine.
2. Stuff your gob with deliciousness.
Raspberry Salad
Serves 8-12
Ingredients:
1 large box of herb salad mix
2 containers of raspberries
1 bag of mixed seeds
raspberry salad dressing
Preparation:
1. Place a bit of each of the ingredients on your plate so that you get a good amount of each yummy thing. Feel free to use some of sandwich items to make your salad even better.
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Yields 60 small cookies or fewer large cookies
Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
3/4 cups evaporated cane juice (or regular sugar if you must)
3/4 cups brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 cups chocolate chips (I like the mini ones)
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl mix together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. In another large bowl, cream together butter, sugars, and vanilla until everything is combined.
4. Add eggs one at a time, mixing until thoroughly incorporated before adding the next egg.
5. Add the flour mixture a bit at a time to insure that there isn't flour all over your kitchen.
6. Once all of the dough is combine, add the chocolate chips (this is where you would also add other goodies if altering the recipe, like nuts or dried fruit or other candy).
7. Drop cookie dough onto an ungreased baking sheet using a spoon, spacing them to try to avoid them merging together.
8. Bake for 9-11 minutes, or until golden brown. If wanting to have extra crispy cookies, bake for 20 minutes or until darker brown. Remove cookies to cool on a wire rack.
Broccoli Beef Over Rice with Chinese Salad
Today was a little hectic because I had to prepare 2 meals due to my being out of town for Thanksgiving, leaving tomorrow morning at 6am. For Tuesday lunch I felt like chinese food, so I looked up a recipe for broccoli beef which I will share with you all. One thing to note is that my sauce had some difficulty thickening because cornstarch is not always cooperative with my agenda, but it should work if you let the bits cool enough and mix in the right proportions.
Also whipped together a chinese inspired salad. This salad would also work really well with shredded chicken or shrimp added to the mix, but since the meal was already pretty meat heavy I decided to skip on the animal bits.
Broccoli Beef
Serves 12
Ingredients:
6 Tbs cornstarch dissolved into 6 Tbs water mixed with 2 cloves minced garlic
1 cup soy sauce
6 Tbs brown sugar
3 tsp minced ginger
3 Tbs cornstarch dissolved into 1 1/2 cups water
3 lbs boneless round steak cut into bite sized pieces
12 cups broccoli florets
1 bunch of spring onions chopped
vegetable oil
Preparation:
1. Dredge the beef chunks in the cornstarch garlic mixture.
2. In a bowl mix together the soy sauce, sugar, ginger, and cornstarch mixture and set aside.
3. In a large pot or wok, heat 1-2 Tbs of vegetable oil over medium heat. Cook the beef until there's not more pink showing. Remove the meat and keep warm.
4. In the same pot/wok, heat 2-3 Tbs of vegetable oil and cook the broccoli and onions until the the broccoli has changed to a darker green, about 4-5 minutes.
5. Return the meat to the pot/wok and add the set aside sauce from earlier.
6. Stir and cook for 2 minutes.
7. Serve over rice.
Chinese Salad
Serves 12
Ingredients:
1 large box of mixed greens
2 cans of mandarine orange slices, drained
2 cans of sliced water chestnuts, drained
2 large handfuls of snow peas with the strings removed
chinese inspired salad dressing (I used Girard's Chinese Chicken Salad Dressing)
Preparation:
1. Dress the mixed greens with the salad dressing, making sure that the dressing is well mixed as it tends to separate easily.
2. Layer the orange, water chestnuts, and snow peas on top of the salad so that the heavy items don't all fall to the bottom.
Also whipped together a chinese inspired salad. This salad would also work really well with shredded chicken or shrimp added to the mix, but since the meal was already pretty meat heavy I decided to skip on the animal bits.
Broccoli Beef
Serves 12
Ingredients:
6 Tbs cornstarch dissolved into 6 Tbs water mixed with 2 cloves minced garlic
1 cup soy sauce
6 Tbs brown sugar
3 tsp minced ginger
3 Tbs cornstarch dissolved into 1 1/2 cups water
3 lbs boneless round steak cut into bite sized pieces
12 cups broccoli florets
1 bunch of spring onions chopped
vegetable oil
Preparation:
1. Dredge the beef chunks in the cornstarch garlic mixture.
2. In a bowl mix together the soy sauce, sugar, ginger, and cornstarch mixture and set aside.
3. In a large pot or wok, heat 1-2 Tbs of vegetable oil over medium heat. Cook the beef until there's not more pink showing. Remove the meat and keep warm.
4. In the same pot/wok, heat 2-3 Tbs of vegetable oil and cook the broccoli and onions until the the broccoli has changed to a darker green, about 4-5 minutes.
5. Return the meat to the pot/wok and add the set aside sauce from earlier.
6. Stir and cook for 2 minutes.
7. Serve over rice.
Chinese Salad
Serves 12
Ingredients:
1 large box of mixed greens
2 cans of mandarine orange slices, drained
2 cans of sliced water chestnuts, drained
2 large handfuls of snow peas with the strings removed
chinese inspired salad dressing (I used Girard's Chinese Chicken Salad Dressing)
Preparation:
1. Dress the mixed greens with the salad dressing, making sure that the dressing is well mixed as it tends to separate easily.
2. Layer the orange, water chestnuts, and snow peas on top of the salad so that the heavy items don't all fall to the bottom.
Monday, November 19, 2012
Pea Soup with Mango Avocado Chicken Salad
This morning I felt a desire for something sweet and a little spicy, so I decided to make a salad featuring a sweet and spicy dressing as well as mangos. To accompany the salad I decided on a fresh pea soup and some french bread to make for a healthy and light lunch with a little bit of sweet, a little bit of spicy, and a fresh taste. Both dishes, minus the bread, are gluten free. The salad is also dairy free, but the soup had very low lactose due to the butter being such a small part of a large dish.
Fresh Pea Soup
Serves 12
Ingredients:
1-2 Tbs butter
1 cup chopped spring onion
9 cups of fresh unshelled peas (frozen will work if nothing else is available)
6 cups of chicken broth
2 cups of water
2 Tbs lemon juice
salt
pepper
mint leaves
Preparation:
1. In a large pot heat the butter over medium heat until melted.
2. Saute onions in the butter, stirring constantly until the onions start to smell good, about 3-5 minutes.
3. Add peas and saute until partially cooked.
4. Add chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil.
5. When the soup starts to boil, reduce heat and leave to simmer for 15 minutes until peas are tender.
6. Mix in lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste.
7. Blend the soup in a blender a batch at a time or with a stick blender.
8. Serve with a garnish of mint and, optionally, fresh bread to dip into the soup.
Mango Avocado Chicken Salad
Serves 12
Ingredients:
1 box of spring mix
2 mangos cubed
2 avocados cubed
1.5 lbs chicken breast tenders
the juice of 2 limes
2 Tbs of sweet and spicy chili marinade
Preparation:
1. Boil chicken in water until no longer pink in the middle, then shred the chicken and set aside to cool.
2. In a separate bowl, mix the chili marinade and lime juice to make a dressing.
3. Dress the salad in small batched to get even coverage.
4. Top the salad with chicken, mango, and avocados.
Fresh Pea Soup
Serves 12
Ingredients:
1-2 Tbs butter
1 cup chopped spring onion
9 cups of fresh unshelled peas (frozen will work if nothing else is available)
6 cups of chicken broth
2 cups of water
2 Tbs lemon juice
salt
pepper
mint leaves
Preparation:
1. In a large pot heat the butter over medium heat until melted.
2. Saute onions in the butter, stirring constantly until the onions start to smell good, about 3-5 minutes.
3. Add peas and saute until partially cooked.
4. Add chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil.
5. When the soup starts to boil, reduce heat and leave to simmer for 15 minutes until peas are tender.
6. Mix in lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste.
7. Blend the soup in a blender a batch at a time or with a stick blender.
8. Serve with a garnish of mint and, optionally, fresh bread to dip into the soup.
Mango Avocado Chicken Salad
Serves 12
Ingredients:
1 box of spring mix
2 mangos cubed
2 avocados cubed
1.5 lbs chicken breast tenders
the juice of 2 limes
2 Tbs of sweet and spicy chili marinade
Preparation:
1. Boil chicken in water until no longer pink in the middle, then shred the chicken and set aside to cool.
2. In a separate bowl, mix the chili marinade and lime juice to make a dressing.
3. Dress the salad in small batched to get even coverage.
4. Top the salad with chicken, mango, and avocados.
Friday, November 16, 2012
Thai Green Curry Chicken over Thai Jasmine Rice and a Kiwi Asian Pear Macadamia Nut Salad
Thailand is on my bucket list (that's the list of things you want to do and see before you kick the bucket) and in honor of getting tickets to go to a friend's wedding in Thailand in the new year, I decided to be inspired by the food of Thailand. This may not be a very traditional version of the dish, but I think that it is the light combination of spices, fish sauce, coconut milk, and veggies that makes this dish really say "Thailand, here I come" (though the deliciously tender meat doesn't hurt matters). As with most asian food, serve with rice, I chose Thai Jasmine Rice to try to be more authentic. Prepare that as per the package directions.
A request was made for more salads, so I decided to make a light salad to pair with the delicate flavors of the curry. Fruit and nuts make a salad taste special to me.
Thai Green Curry Chicken
Served 12
Ingredients:
6 lbs of boneless skinless chicken thighs trimmed of fat and cut into bite-size pieces
3 14oz cans of coconut milk
4 Tbs of green curry paste
5 Tbs of fish sauce
5 Tbs brown sugar
1 cup chicken stock
2 handfuls of fresh baby corn
2 handfuls of fresh snap peas
3 cans of chinese stir-fry veggies, drained
A request was made for more salads, so I decided to make a light salad to pair with the delicate flavors of the curry. Fruit and nuts make a salad taste special to me.
Thai Green Curry Chicken
Served 12
Ingredients:
6 lbs of boneless skinless chicken thighs trimmed of fat and cut into bite-size pieces
3 14oz cans of coconut milk
4 Tbs of green curry paste
5 Tbs of fish sauce
5 Tbs brown sugar
1 cup chicken stock
2 handfuls of fresh baby corn
2 handfuls of fresh snap peas
3 cans of chinese stir-fry veggies, drained
Preparation:
1. In a large pot simmer the coconut milk and green curry paste over medium heat for 5 minutes.
2. Add the fish sauce, brown sugar, and chicken stock and stir until combined.
3. Add the chicken and veggies.
4. Simmer until the chicken is no longer pink in the middle (about 10 minutes of simmering) stirring occasionally.
Kiwi Asian Pear Macadamia Nut Salad
Serves 12
Ingredients:
1 large box of mixed greens
apple poppyseed dressing
2 asian pears, cored and cut into small pieces
4 kiwis, peeled, cored and cut into small pieces
1 handful sunflower seeds
1 handful macadamia nuts
Preparation:
1. Dress the greens in a small side bowl a handful at a time to insure an even and light coating.
2. Top dressed salad with all of your yummy bits so that the heavy things don't all fall to the bottom.
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Lasagnas
Hello all. Today I decided to go old-school and make lasagna. Well, not that traditional because I made one of them gluten free, dairy free, used butternut squash sauce instead fo the usual tomato, and included mushrooms, zucchini, and ground beef in the layers. For the second one, I made a vegetarian green and white lasagna with ricotta, mozzarella, alfredo sauce, artichoke hearts, spinach, and green beans. These are two great ways to mix up the usual lasagna and make it something different.Gluten Free, Dairy Free Lasagna
Serves 6
Ingredients:
2 packages of gluten free no boil lasagna noodles (check out gfgrocery.com)
2 packages of dairy free shredded mozzarella substitute (gfgrocery.com)
2 zucchinis sliced
1 package of sliced cremini mushrooms
1 lbs ground beef
1 Tbs olive oil
1/2 cup marsala cooking wine
1 jar of butternut squash pasta sauce (I used Dave's Gourmet)
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Heat olive oil in a skillet. Add mushrooms, zucchinis, and ground beef. Brown the beef.
3. Add wine and simmer until liquid has reduced and zucchinis are slightly soft.
4. In a large baking dish layer sauce, noodles, meat & veggie mixture, and cheese-like substitute.
5. Repeat step 4 until out of ingredients, ending in a layer of noodles, then sauce, then cheese.
6. Bake for 45-50 minutes.
7. Let rest for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.
Vegetarian White and Green Lasagna
Serves 6
Ingredients:
1 lbs of lasagna noodles
2 jars of alfredo sauce
2 cans of quartered artichokes, diced
1 bag of baby spinach chopped
1 bag of steamed green beans
1 large carton of ricotta cheese
8 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese (2 large bags)
Preparation:
1. Prepare lasagna noodles according to directions on the box.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
3. In a large baking pan layer noodles, ricotta cheese, sauce, veggies, and mozzarella cheese.
4. Repeat step 3 until all of the ingredients are used, end with noodles, then sauce, then mozzarella cheese.
5. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until the cheese is slightly browned.
6. Let rest 10 minutes before cutting and serving.
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Roasted Pork Loin with Fennel and Apple with Spinach, Strawberry, Honey Mustard Salad
Today the windows in the kitchen were being replaced, so I made sure to concoct a dish that would be unlikely to get any dust or debris in it because it would be contained during the construction. The workers made many comments about it smelling really good in the kitchen and I felt bad that I couldn't offer them any. On a positive note, the dish was pretty easy to make, I managed to get everything from my cooking cleaned up before I had to drop off the food, and there are new windows in the kitchen so it won't be freezing in there when it gets cold outside.
Though the pork was delicious, I think that next time I will have to reduce the sauce to make a lovely gravy rather than leave drippings at the bottom of the pan to drizzle. Find out how to do that yourself in the optional side note. Also, carrots and celery might make a lovely addition to the roasted veggies, so gauge the veggie level to your group
Roasted Pork Loin with Fennel and Apple
Serves 12
Ingredients:
3-4 lbs pork loin (or 2 average size loins)
4 Tbs olive oil
Salt and pepper
3 fennel bulbs quartered with ends removed
1 large white onion quartered with ends removed
6-8 medium sized potatoes and yams cut into fork sized pieces
3 sprigs fresh rosemary
3 sprigs fresh thyme
3 cloves of garlic, smashed to release scent and flavor
6 small apples, cored and quartered
2 Tbs apple cider vinegar
1 cup apple cider
2 Tbs grainy mustard
Optional gravy:
1/2 cup white cooking wine
2 Tbs cornstarch
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Lightly coat the pork in freshly ground salt and pepper.
3. In a large cast iron skillet heat half the olive oil over high heat until it smell like olives, but not to smoking.
4. Sear the pork loin in the skillet to seal in moisture. Be careful not to let the pork burn, just have a nice crust of brown on the 4 long sides. Use strong tongs to turn the meat, try not to pierce the meat.
5. Set aside the seared pork to let it rest.
6. Add the remaining oil to the cast iron pan and saute the fennel, onion, potatoes/yams, rosemary, thyme, and garlic, stirring frequently until the veggies are browned and the whole kitchen smells good.
7. In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, apple cider, and mustard.
8. In a large baking pan, place the apples and veggies at the bottom, then gently lay the pork on top, coat everything in apple mustard sauce.
9. Cover the baking pan in tinfoil and bake until the internal temperature of the meat is 140 degrees F (about 30-45 minutes).
10. Set aside the meat and tent with tinfoil. Return veggies to the oven until fennel and potatoes are soft enough to easily pierce with a fork.
11. Slice the meat and serve over the veggies.
Optional: To make gravy, transfer all but 2 Tbs of drippings from the bottom of the baking pan into a measuring cup so it is easy to pour later. Put the pan on the stove top over medium heat and deglaze the pan with 1/2 cup white wine (that means scrape off all the stuff from the bottom while cooking it in a liquid). Dissolve 2 tablespoons of cornstarch into 1/4 cup of water to make a thin paste. Whisk the cornstarch and the deglazed pan drippings together until the gravy has formed a thick roux, then slowly add 2 cups of pan drippings you had set aside and whisk until combined. If you don't have enough drippings, use veggie stock to make up the difference. At right is a video on how to do it with flour, which is more traditional, but if you need gluten free, then the thickening power of cornstarch is what you will substitute for flour.
Spinach, Strawberry, Honey Mustard Salad
Serves 12
Ingredients:
1 large box of baby spinach (or 2 bags of baby spinach)
1 bag of shredded kale
1 bag of shredded cabbage
1/2 carton of strawberries, sliced with tops removed
1 pomegranate, seeds carefully removed (or a couple of handfuls of already separated pomegranate seeds, less work but use what you have)
1/2 cup pine nuts
1 large cucumber diced
1 bottle of honey mustard dressing (I like Brianna's Dijon Honey Mustard Dressing because it's delicious and gluten free)
Preparation:
1. Combine the spinach, kale, and shredded cabbage by placing a handful of each into a medium size bowl with about a Tbs or two of dressing, mix thoroughly before transferring to serving bowl; repeat with all of the greens.
2. On top of the greens layer the heavy items: pine nuts, pomegranate seeds, strawberry slices, and cucumber bits.
3. Serve with extra dressing on the side so that people can put more on if they like.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Balsamic Vinegar Date Chicken with Roasted Carrots and Parmesan Brown Rice
Here I go with the baking again, but I just love it for feeding large numbers of people because it requires less unwieldy handling of large hot skillets. Meat and fruit are a combination that make me really happy, stone fruit cooks at the same rate as meat and releases juices that make the meat taste so yummy. Pair a roasted meat with a roasted root vegetable and it is a match made in heaven, all it needs is a carbohydrate and it is a well rounded and seasonal meal that leaves you time to clean up while things cook. Fantastic!
Parmesan Brown Rice
Serves 12
Ingredients:
4 cups long grain brown rice
8 cups water
1 1/2 cups shredded parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
1. In a large pot combine water and rice; bring to a boil.
2. Cover and reduce heat to low, simmer for 50 minutes.
3. Fluff with a fork and add parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper.
Balsamic Vinegar Date Chicken
Makes 12 servings
Ingredients:
6 lbs skinless chicken thighs (if you go boneless, you only need 4 lbs)
salt and pepper
3 Tbs white cooking wine
1 Tbs minced fresh peeled ginger
1 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 package dates (about 1 lb), pitted
1 Tbs corn starch
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Wash and pat dry chicken. Place into a deep baking dish and sprinkle the dates on top.
3. In a separate bowl, mix the wine, vinegar, and ginger.
4. Cover the chicken and dates in the liquid, then cover the baking dish with tinfoil.
5. Bake for 45-60 minutes until the juices run clear and there's no pink when the chicken is cut into.
6. Remove the chicken and dates to the serving plate.
7. Cook down remaining liquid in a skillet. Add cornstarch to thicken the gravy. Strain to remove any ginger chunks and unincorporated cornstarch globs.
Roasted Carrots
Serves 6
Ingredients:
1 large bag of baby carrots (about 1 lbs)
2 Tbs olive oil
2 cloves garlic minced
1 Tbs fresh rosemary removed from the stem and chopped
salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (if you have to, 425 F will work)
2. Open the bag of carrots, pour in the oil, garlic, and rosemary, seal the bag and shake to mix thoroughly. Salt and pepper the carrots while in the pan for an even distribution.
3. Pour carrots into a baking dish and bake for 20-30 minutes until able to pierce easily with a fork, moving the carrots every 10 minutes to prevent them from burning to the bottom.
*Optional: replace garlic and rosemary with 2 Tbs of fresh chopped dill.
*Optional: replace carrots with other root veggie, like potatoes, beets, yams, or parsnips, or a sturdy veggie, like eggplant, zucchini, squash, pumpkin, or asparagus. Cooking times will vary with different veggies, so keep an eye on it.
Parmesan Brown Rice
Serves 12
Ingredients:
4 cups long grain brown rice
8 cups water
1 1/2 cups shredded parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
1. In a large pot combine water and rice; bring to a boil.
2. Cover and reduce heat to low, simmer for 50 minutes.
3. Fluff with a fork and add parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper.
Balsamic Vinegar Date Chicken
Makes 12 servings
Ingredients:
6 lbs skinless chicken thighs (if you go boneless, you only need 4 lbs)
salt and pepper
3 Tbs white cooking wine
1 Tbs minced fresh peeled ginger
1 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 package dates (about 1 lb), pitted
1 Tbs corn starch
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Wash and pat dry chicken. Place into a deep baking dish and sprinkle the dates on top.
3. In a separate bowl, mix the wine, vinegar, and ginger.
4. Cover the chicken and dates in the liquid, then cover the baking dish with tinfoil.
5. Bake for 45-60 minutes until the juices run clear and there's no pink when the chicken is cut into.
6. Remove the chicken and dates to the serving plate.
7. Cook down remaining liquid in a skillet. Add cornstarch to thicken the gravy. Strain to remove any ginger chunks and unincorporated cornstarch globs.
Roasted Carrots
Serves 6
Ingredients:
1 large bag of baby carrots (about 1 lbs)
2 Tbs olive oil
2 cloves garlic minced
1 Tbs fresh rosemary removed from the stem and chopped
salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (if you have to, 425 F will work)
2. Open the bag of carrots, pour in the oil, garlic, and rosemary, seal the bag and shake to mix thoroughly. Salt and pepper the carrots while in the pan for an even distribution.
3. Pour carrots into a baking dish and bake for 20-30 minutes until able to pierce easily with a fork, moving the carrots every 10 minutes to prevent them from burning to the bottom.
*Optional: replace garlic and rosemary with 2 Tbs of fresh chopped dill.
*Optional: replace carrots with other root veggie, like potatoes, beets, yams, or parsnips, or a sturdy veggie, like eggplant, zucchini, squash, pumpkin, or asparagus. Cooking times will vary with different veggies, so keep an eye on it.
Monday, November 12, 2012
3 quiche with a handmade crust and mixed greens salad
Baking is one of my favorite ways to cook. Don't get me wrong, I still love my skillet, but there is just something about mixing everything together at leisure and then sitting back while it undergoes a magical process in the oven to become something amazing. For this meal I made three quiches with different special ingredients as well as a very well received salad. Start with the pie crusts, then the special fillings, then make the quiche. While the quiches are baking there is plenty of time to make the salad and clean up the kitchen.
To make the quiche gluten free I tossed with Bob's Red Mill All-Purpose Gluten Free Flour and poured the quiche mixture into metal baking cups to create individual quiches without crusts (make sure to remove the paper). For a low lactose version of the quiche, I used lactose free milk and an aged cheddar (aged cheeses have minuscule amounts of lactose because lactose breaks down over time; so if you're lactose intolerant, stick to the hard and aged cheeses).
Pie Crust
(makes 3 crusts)
Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 cup butter
7-10 Tbs cold water
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Mix flour and salt in a large bowl. Sift flour if you live in a humid area and have clumps.
3. Use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour (I just use my hands to combine the butter and the flour, making sure that the flour covers the butter as I squeeze it until there are no lumps of butter).
4. Add water until the dough is able to form a ball that doesn't fall apart.
5. Divide into three parts and roll out each part on a flat surface until the dough is able to cover a pie tin.
6. Carefully lay dough into a pie tin and remove excess. Use a fork to poke holes in the bottom and sides.
7. Bake pie crust until it begins to brown, about 10-15 minutes.
Quiche Filling #1
Ingredients:
1 orange bell pepper seeded and diced
4 pieces of prosciutto broken into small pieces
1 Tbs olive oil
Preparation:
1. Heat oil in skillet over high heat until it smells like olives, but isn't smoking.
2. Add bell pepper and jostle the pieces so they don't burn until they smell cooked (2-5 minutes)
3. Remove from heat and place into a pie shell along with prosciutto pieces.
Quiche Filling #2
Ingredients:
2 cups chopped fresh spinach
3 Tbs chopped sun-dried tomatoes
1 Tbs olive oil
Preparation:
1. Heat oil in skillet over high heat until it smells like olives, but isn't smoking.
2. Add spinach and jostle the pieces so they don't burn until they release water smell cooked (2-3 minutes)
3. Remove from heat, drain liquid and place into a pie shell along with sun-dried tomato pieces.
Quiche Filling #3
Ingredients:
2 precooked sausages cut lengthwise then sliced along the length to create small pieces (I used Aidells Mango Sausages)
1 package of sliced cremini mushrooms
1 Tbs olive oil
2 Tbs cooking sherry
Preparation:
1. Heat oil in skillet over high heat until it smells like olives, but isn't smoking.
2. Add mushrooms and sausages and jostle the pieces so they don't burn, until they start to smell cooked (2-5 minutes)
3. Add cooking sherry and continue to jostle until all of the liquid has evaporated
4. Remove from heat and let sit for a few minutes.
5. Drain excess liquid and place into a pie shell.
Quiche Recipe
makes 1 quiche, so do it three times unless you have a really huge bowl
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
2 Tbs flour
1 cup milk
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
dash of salt and pepper
pie crust
filling (go wild with this, above are just a few examples, just make sure the items are cooked first and that you don't use too much or the quiche will overflow)
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl toss cheddar and flour
3. Add milk, eggs, parmesan, salt and pepper.
4. Place filling into pie crust and pour cheese mixture over filling. If your quiche is filled really high, place a baking tray under to catch any spills.
5. Bake until set (that means it doesn't giggle when gently jostled) about 50-60 minutes.
Mixed Greens Salad
serves 12
Ingredients:
1 large box of mixed herbs and greens pre-washed salad salad
2 cartons of blackberries (or raspberries or sliced strawberries, whatever looks the best)
1 carton of heirloom cherry tomatoes cut into halves (quarters for the bigger ones)
1/4 cup flax seeds
1/4 cup pine nuts
2-4 Tbs vinaigrette dressing to lightly cover greens
Preparation:
1. Toss greens with salad dressing in small batches so that the greens are evenly covered but not swimming in dressing.
2. Cover greens with other ingredients making sure not to toss the salad because all of the heavy items will fall to the bottom.
3. Serve as soon as possible because dressed salads don't last more than a day even in the fridge.
To make the quiche gluten free I tossed with Bob's Red Mill All-Purpose Gluten Free Flour and poured the quiche mixture into metal baking cups to create individual quiches without crusts (make sure to remove the paper). For a low lactose version of the quiche, I used lactose free milk and an aged cheddar (aged cheeses have minuscule amounts of lactose because lactose breaks down over time; so if you're lactose intolerant, stick to the hard and aged cheeses).
Pie Crust
(makes 3 crusts)
Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 cup butter
7-10 Tbs cold water
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Mix flour and salt in a large bowl. Sift flour if you live in a humid area and have clumps.
3. Use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour (I just use my hands to combine the butter and the flour, making sure that the flour covers the butter as I squeeze it until there are no lumps of butter).
4. Add water until the dough is able to form a ball that doesn't fall apart.
5. Divide into three parts and roll out each part on a flat surface until the dough is able to cover a pie tin.
6. Carefully lay dough into a pie tin and remove excess. Use a fork to poke holes in the bottom and sides.
7. Bake pie crust until it begins to brown, about 10-15 minutes.
Quiche Filling #1
Ingredients:
1 orange bell pepper seeded and diced
4 pieces of prosciutto broken into small pieces
1 Tbs olive oil
Preparation:
1. Heat oil in skillet over high heat until it smells like olives, but isn't smoking.
2. Add bell pepper and jostle the pieces so they don't burn until they smell cooked (2-5 minutes)
3. Remove from heat and place into a pie shell along with prosciutto pieces.
Quiche Filling #2
Ingredients:
2 cups chopped fresh spinach
3 Tbs chopped sun-dried tomatoes
1 Tbs olive oil
Preparation:
1. Heat oil in skillet over high heat until it smells like olives, but isn't smoking.
2. Add spinach and jostle the pieces so they don't burn until they release water smell cooked (2-3 minutes)
3. Remove from heat, drain liquid and place into a pie shell along with sun-dried tomato pieces.
Quiche Filling #3
Ingredients:
2 precooked sausages cut lengthwise then sliced along the length to create small pieces (I used Aidells Mango Sausages)
1 package of sliced cremini mushrooms
1 Tbs olive oil
2 Tbs cooking sherry
Preparation:
1. Heat oil in skillet over high heat until it smells like olives, but isn't smoking.
2. Add mushrooms and sausages and jostle the pieces so they don't burn, until they start to smell cooked (2-5 minutes)
3. Add cooking sherry and continue to jostle until all of the liquid has evaporated
4. Remove from heat and let sit for a few minutes.
5. Drain excess liquid and place into a pie shell.
Quiche Recipe
makes 1 quiche, so do it three times unless you have a really huge bowl
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
2 Tbs flour
1 cup milk
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
dash of salt and pepper
pie crust
filling (go wild with this, above are just a few examples, just make sure the items are cooked first and that you don't use too much or the quiche will overflow)
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl toss cheddar and flour
3. Add milk, eggs, parmesan, salt and pepper.
4. Place filling into pie crust and pour cheese mixture over filling. If your quiche is filled really high, place a baking tray under to catch any spills.
5. Bake until set (that means it doesn't giggle when gently jostled) about 50-60 minutes.
Mixed Greens Salad
serves 12
Ingredients:
1 large box of mixed herbs and greens pre-washed salad salad
2 cartons of blackberries (or raspberries or sliced strawberries, whatever looks the best)
1 carton of heirloom cherry tomatoes cut into halves (quarters for the bigger ones)
1/4 cup flax seeds
1/4 cup pine nuts
2-4 Tbs vinaigrette dressing to lightly cover greens
Preparation:
1. Toss greens with salad dressing in small batches so that the greens are evenly covered but not swimming in dressing.
2. Cover greens with other ingredients making sure not to toss the salad because all of the heavy items will fall to the bottom.
3. Serve as soon as possible because dressed salads don't last more than a day even in the fridge.
Friday, November 9, 2012
Baked tilapia, kale, brown rice, mango cucumber salsa
Today I made baked tilapia on a bed of kale with a mango cucumber salsa and a side of brown rice cooked in homemade chicken broth with shredded carrots & zucchini and almonds and sunflower seeds. The whole meal was gluten free and dairy free, which takes a bit of innovation if I do say so myself. The tilapia is buttery and light, which goes great with the cucumber mango salsa (one comment on the salsa was that it was like a burst of sunshine and lightness), grounded by the rich kale and veggie packed brown rice. Overall, this is a delicious and healthy meal which is light on the love handles and the wallet.
As far as timing is concerned, start the brown rice first, since it takes the longest.
Brown Rice with Veggies and Nuts
Ingredients:
1 cup long grain brown rice
2 cups chicken broth (I like to make my own when possible, but whatever you have works, use veggie broth for a vegetarian version of this dish)
1 or 2 Tbs olive oil
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1/2 cup shredded zucchini
3 Tbs slivered almonds
3 Tbs sunflower seeds
1/4 tsp red chili flakes
2 Tbs chopped fresh cilantro (1 bunch with stems removed)
Preparation:
1. Bring brown rice and broth to a boil in a medium saucepan. Cover and reduce heat to low, simmer for 50 minutes or until all of the liquid has been absorbed and rice is tender.
2. In a skillet heat olive oil and cook carrot and zucchini (just a couple of minutes).
3. Add almonds, sunflower seeds, and red chili flakes. Cook over medium heat until aromatic.
4. Add brown rice and cilantro to skillet and combine.
Baked Tilapia Over a Bed of Kale
makes 9 filets (I doubled this for 12 people, figuring about 1.5 filets per person)
Ingredients:
9 tilapia filets (fresh or thawed from frozen)
chopped kale (about 1/2 a bag)
olive oil
salt
pepper
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Coat baking dish in a thin layer of olive oil, then put down your kale so that it fills the baking dish.
3. Lay the tilapia on the bed of kale then season the filets with a light coating of olive oil, salt, and pepper.
4. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the flesh flakes easily with a fork.
Mango Cucumber Salsa
makes 4 cups
Ingredients:
3 mangos diced (see video at side)
1 cucumber peeled, seeded, and diced
2 jalapeno peppers minced
1 large sweet onion finely diced
1 clove garlic minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 Tbs lime juice
dash of salt and pepper to taste
1. Combined mangos, cucumber, jalapeno, onion, garlic, and cilantro.
2. Season with lime juice, salt, and pepper
3. Refrigerate 1 hour to let flavors mature.
As far as timing is concerned, start the brown rice first, since it takes the longest.
Brown Rice with Veggies and Nuts
Ingredients:
1 cup long grain brown rice
2 cups chicken broth (I like to make my own when possible, but whatever you have works, use veggie broth for a vegetarian version of this dish)
1 or 2 Tbs olive oil
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1/2 cup shredded zucchini
3 Tbs slivered almonds
3 Tbs sunflower seeds
1/4 tsp red chili flakes
2 Tbs chopped fresh cilantro (1 bunch with stems removed)
Preparation:
1. Bring brown rice and broth to a boil in a medium saucepan. Cover and reduce heat to low, simmer for 50 minutes or until all of the liquid has been absorbed and rice is tender.
2. In a skillet heat olive oil and cook carrot and zucchini (just a couple of minutes).
3. Add almonds, sunflower seeds, and red chili flakes. Cook over medium heat until aromatic.
4. Add brown rice and cilantro to skillet and combine.
Baked Tilapia Over a Bed of Kale
makes 9 filets (I doubled this for 12 people, figuring about 1.5 filets per person)
Ingredients:
9 tilapia filets (fresh or thawed from frozen)
chopped kale (about 1/2 a bag)
olive oil
salt
pepper
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Coat baking dish in a thin layer of olive oil, then put down your kale so that it fills the baking dish.
3. Lay the tilapia on the bed of kale then season the filets with a light coating of olive oil, salt, and pepper.
4. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the flesh flakes easily with a fork.
Mango Cucumber Salsa
makes 4 cups
Ingredients:
1 cucumber peeled, seeded, and diced
2 jalapeno peppers minced
1 large sweet onion finely diced
1 clove garlic minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 Tbs lime juice
dash of salt and pepper to taste
1. Combined mangos, cucumber, jalapeno, onion, garlic, and cilantro.
2. Season with lime juice, salt, and pepper
3. Refrigerate 1 hour to let flavors mature.
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